Porcelain Veneers on Sydney’s North Shore
Good veneers don’t look like veneers – they look like your own teeth on a good day. At North Shore Prosthodontics in Cremorne, specialist prosthodontist Dr Ricky Lim designs porcelain veneers with Digital Smile Design, so you can see and trial your new smile before any treatment starts. The aim is “you, but better”.
- Registered specialist prosthodontist
- Trial smile before treatment
- From $3,500 per tooth
Shape, shade and proportion planned around your face.
What Would You Like to Change?
Veneers suit several cosmetic concerns. Start with the one closest to yours.
What Are Porcelain Veneers?
Porcelain veneers are thin, custom-made ceramic shells bonded to the front of your teeth. They change colour, shape, size or length while keeping most of the natural tooth underneath.
A veneer covers the front and edge of a tooth. A crown covers the whole tooth, so it’s used when a tooth is weak, heavily filled or broken. If a tooth needs more than a veneer can give, Dr Lim will say so.
Veneers often suit: discolouration whitening won’t fix, chipped or worn front teeth, small gaps, slightly uneven teeth, and old stained bonding. They may not suit active decay, gum disease, heavy unprotected grinding or too little enamel to bond to.
Why Choose a Prosthodontist for Veneers?
A prosthodontist is a registered dental specialist with several years of additional university training in restoring teeth – including tooth proportions, bite and how a smile sits within the face. With veneers that matters: the bite has to work with the new tooth shape, or veneers chip and wear early.
- Bachelor of Dental Surgery, James Cook University
- Specialist training in Prosthodontics, University of Sydney
- Focus on aesthetic, implant and reconstructive dentistry
- Composite resin, porcelain veneers and crowns offered
Smile design: Digital Smile Design with a trial smile on your own teeth.
See Your New Smile Before You Commit
- Cosmetic analysis. It starts with listening to what you want. Photos and scans build a digital design of your new smile.
- Trial smile. Once you’re happy with the design, a temporary mock-up is placed directly on your teeth so you can see and feel the result.
- Treatment. Only once you approve the trial is treatment carried out.
That trial step is the safeguard: you decide on shape and length with your own lips and face, not just a screen.
The Porcelain Veneer Process
From smile design to your final veneers.
About one hour, with digital scans, photos and any X-rays.
Your digital design, then a mock-up on your own teeth.
Under local anaesthetic a thin layer of enamel is shaped; temporaries fitted.
Veneers are checked for shade and fit, bonded, then your bite is reviewed.
How Much Do Porcelain Veneers Cost?
As a guide, porcelain (ceramic) veneers at North Shore Prosthodontics start from $3,500 per tooth. The final fee depends on how many teeth are treated and the condition of each; teeth that need rebuilding first cost more.
Your first step is a one-hour consultation ($300, including digital scans, photos and any intraoral X-rays). You’ll then receive an itemised, written quote.
Cosmetic treatment is often not covered, or only partly covered, by extras policies; we claim on-site where cover applies.
Payment plans are available through humm®, with no interest on terms of up to 24 months.¹ An establishment fee and a monthly loan fee, charged by humm, apply. Approval is subject to humm’s credit assessment. Private health rebates are processed on-site.
¹ humm provided by Once Credit Pty Limited ABN 99 112 319 632, Australian Credit Licence No. 386194, subject to its Terms & Conditions. Fees, charges and interest (if applicable) vary depending on the product type, merchant and the amount of credit. Approval subject to credit assessment criteria.
The main factors we'll walk through at your consultation:
Fees are quoted individually after a clinical assessment and 3D scan. Any figures discussed beforehand are general guidance only and are confirmed in your written treatment plan.
Porcelain vs Composite Veneers
How the two main veneer types compare.
| Porcelain Veneers | Composite Veneers | |
|---|---|---|
|
Material |
Ceramic made in a lab |
Tooth-coloured resin built on the tooth |
|
Visits |
Usually two or more after planning |
Often one |
|
Stain resistance |
✓ High – holds colour well |
Can stain and dull over time |
|
Durability |
Strong; chipping is the most common issue |
More prone to chips; easier to repair |
|
Tooth preparation |
Thin layer of enamel usually removed |
Often little or none |
Dr Lim offers both, plus crowns, and recommends based on your teeth, age and goals.
How Long Do Veneers Last – and Common Mistakes
A 2016 review of 13 clinical studies found an overall survival rate of 89% for ceramic veneers over a median of about nine years, with chipping the most common problem (Morimoto et al.). Veneers are not reversible, because enamel is usually removed to fit them.
- Choosing a shade that’s too white. Very bright veneers can look artificial.
- Skipping the trial smile. It shows length and shape problems before they’re permanent.
- Ignoring the bite. Veneers that clash with your bite chip early.
- No night guard if you grind. Grinding is a leading cause of chipped veneers.
Visiting us in Cremorne
Our practice is on Parraween Street in Cremorne, accessible from both Military Road and Parraween Street, with street parking and a council car park (up to 3 hours) close by. We welcome patients from across the Lower North Shore and referrals from dentists throughout Sydney.
Opening hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 8am–5pm. Closed Wednesday and weekends.
- Cremorne
- Mosman
- Neutral Bay
- Cammeray
- North Sydney
- Kirribilli
- Cremorne Point
- Crows Nest
Porcelain Veneer FAQs
Straight answers to what patients ask most. If yours isn't here, our team is happy to help.
At our Cremorne practice, porcelain veneers start from $3,500 per tooth. Teeth that need rebuilding first cost more.
A 2016 review found about 89% of ceramic veneers were still in place after a median of nine years. Care and grinding habits affect lifespan.
A thin layer of enamel is usually removed so the veneer sits naturally. This is irreversible, so the tooth will always need a covering.
Yes. With Digital Smile Design you see a digital preview, then trial a temporary mock-up on your own teeth before treatment.
It depends on how many teeth show when you smile and what you want to change. Some people need two; others six to ten.
Veneers keep more natural tooth and suit healthy teeth. Crowns suit teeth that are weak, broken or heavily filled.
No. Porcelain doesn’t whiten, so any whitening of natural teeth is usually done before the veneer shade is chosen.
Ready to plan your new smile?
Book a consultation with Dr Ricky Lim to see your smile design and get a written quote.
The information on this page is general in nature and is not a substitute for individual clinical advice. Any invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding with treatment, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner. Individual results vary.
