A common mistake is to choose a number of veneers first and fit the smile around it. It works better the other way round: count the upper teeth that show when you smile widely, decide which of them actually need changing, and the number follows. For one chipped or dark tooth that may be a single veneer, while a full change of shape and colour across a broad smile often means eight or ten.
The aim is the smallest number that still looks even and natural. Here is how that is worked out, and when a smaller plan or a different treatment may suit you better.
Your widest smile decides how far back to go
Look in a mirror and smile the way you would for a photo. Count the upper teeth you can see, starting from the middle and working out. Some people show only as far as the canines, the pointed teeth at the corners. Many also show the first premolars behind them, and a wide smile can show the second premolars too.
A classic survey of 454 smiles in the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry (Tjan, Miller and The, 1984), taken from photographs of dental and dental hygiene students, found that an average smile displayed the six upper front teeth and the premolars. That is why plans for a full change often extend beyond the front six. Every tooth that shows in a full smile and is not veneered has to sit comfortably beside the ones that are.
What you want to change matters as much as how many teeth show
If colour is the only concern, whitening may be enough on its own, and veneers can be kept for teeth that also need a change in shape, length or position. A single dark or chipped front tooth is a very different job from closing several gaps or evening out worn edges across the smile.
Existing crowns and large fillings also count. If a visible tooth has a crown that will not match new porcelain, replacing it is usually part of the same plan, which adds to the total.
Common counts and the smiles they tend to suit
| Upper veneers | Teeth covered | Often suits | Points to consider |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | One front tooth | A single chipped, discoloured or oddly shaped tooth | The hardest to match, because it must copy the tooth next to it |
| 2 | The two central incisors | Two worn, chipped or uneven front teeth | Neighbouring natural teeth need to blend in shade and shape |
| 4 | Centrals and laterals | Small or peg-shaped lateral incisors, small gaps | Canines may look bulky or darker beside the new teeth |
| 6 | Canine to canine | Smiles that show only to the canines | In a broad smile the premolars can look narrow or yellow |
| 8 | To the first premolars | Average to wide smiles | The bite and gum line further back need checking |
| 10 | To the second premolars | Wide smiles, dark corners, a narrow upper arch | More teeth prepared, more cost and more to maintain |
Stopping short of what your smile shows can leave a visible step between bright new veneers and the natural teeth behind them, and some people who choose six later wish they had chosen eight. If dark spaces at the corners of your smile are the concern, our article on buccal corridors and narrow-looking smiles explains when including the premolars helps.
One or two veneers can look natural, with extra care
With a small number, the ceramist is copying the natural teeth beside them, including translucency, small marks and the way colour changes from the gum to the biting edge. That often needs a separate shade appointment and sometimes a second try-in. Our guide to a single veneer on one front tooth walks through the steps.
If your other teeth are darker than you would like, whitening them first usually makes sense, because porcelain cannot be whitened later and the veneers are matched to the lighter shade. Our article on whitening before veneers or bonding covers the timing.
A smaller plan is often the more conservative one
Veneers are only one way to change a smile. Whitening can deal with colour, leaving veneers for teeth that also need reshaping. Composite bonding can repair small chips, gaps or worn edges, usually with little or no enamel removed. Clear aligners or braces can straighten crowded or rotated teeth first, so that fewer teeth need veneers or less of each tooth has to be shaped to bring it into line. Our guide to how much tooth is removed for veneers explains why keeping enamel matters over the long term.
Lower veneers are often not needed
For most people the lower lip covers much of the lower teeth during a smile. Many people whiten the lower teeth to match new upper veneers and stop there. Lower veneers are more likely to come up when the lower front teeth are very worn or chipped, or show a lot when talking. Our article on veneers on bottom teeth covers when they may be worth it.
The count drives the cost
Veneers are charged per tooth. Typical Australian market ranges are about $1,500 to $2,500 per tooth for porcelain veneers and $250 to $800 per tooth for composite bonding. Multiplied out, that gives the rough totals below. They are general market ranges, not Lumi fees or quotes.
| Number | Porcelain (typical market range) | Composite (typical market range) |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | $3,000 to $5,000 | $500 to $1,600 |
| 6 | $9,000 to $15,000 | $1,500 to $4,800 |
| 8 | $12,000 to $20,000 | $2,000 to $6,400 |
| 10 | $15,000 to $25,000 | $2,500 to $8,000 |
Planning visits, whitening, a trial smile and any crowns are usually charged separately. Our porcelain veneers cost guide explains what goes into a fee, and current offers are on our current deals page.
Testing the number before any tooth is prepared
Planning usually starts with clinical photographs, a short video of you talking and smiling, and a 3D scan of your teeth. Together these show how many teeth display, where your lip line sits and how your bite works. A trial smile in tooth-coloured resin can then be placed over your own teeth so you can see, for example, six or eight teeth changed in the mirror. It is a preview rather than a promise of the final result, but it is often the clearest way to judge whether a smaller plan looks right. Our article on the smile mock-up describes that appointment, and our porcelain veneers page explains the treatment.
Common questions
Can I have veneers on just my two front teeth?
Often, if the other teeth are healthy and a similar colour. Your dentist will check whether the neighbouring teeth will look out of proportion once the front two change.
Will they all need replacing at once later on?
Not necessarily. In a long-term study of 318 porcelain veneers in the International Journal of Prosthodontics (Beier and colleagues, 2012), estimated survival was 94.4% at five years, 93.5% at ten years and about 83% at 20 years. Failures were more likely with tooth grinding and in root-filled teeth. If one veneer fails, it can often be replaced on its own and matched to the others.
Can I add more veneers later?
You can, but matching new porcelain to veneers that are several years old is harder than making them together. If you are torn between six and eight, a trial smile is a good time to compare both.
If you would like to find out how many veneers your smile may need, you can book a free cosmetic consult at our Melrose Park practice. You will usually receive a written treatment plan, often by email, before you decide.
