What Veneers Cost in London
London pricing sits well above the national average, so a figure you read on a general UK guide will usually understate what you are quoted here. It helps to know the range before you start comparing practices.
Reported 2026 market rates put
porcelain veneers in London at roughly £800 to £2,000 per tooth, with central London averaging somewhere around £700 to £1,200.
Composite veneers run about £150 to £400 per tooth nationally, and London practices typically charge 20 to 40 percent above that.
Our own fees start at
£350 per tooth for composite and
£850 for porcelain, which places our porcelain at the bottom of the London range rather than the middle.
Per tooth is not the number you need
Almost every practice quotes per tooth, and almost nobody is treating one tooth.
Most smile makeovers involve the teeth visible when you smile, which is commonly six, eight or ten. So the figure that actually matters is the per-tooth price multiplied by how many you need, and that is the calculation to do before you get attached to a quote.
Ask two questions of any quote: how many teeth does this cover, and does it include the consultation, the trial smile and any adjustments afterwards. Those are the places where a low headline price quietly becomes a higher final one.
What moves the price
- Material. Porcelain costs more than composite, lasts longer and resists staining better.
- The laboratory. Porcelain veneers are handmade by a technician. Better technicians cost more and the difference shows, particularly on front teeth.
- How many teeth. Some practices reduce the per-tooth rate for a full set.
- Preparation needed first. Gum treatment, whitening the lower teeth to match, or replacing old fillings behind a veneer all add.
- Whether a trial smile is included. A mock-up you can see and approve before anything is made is worth having, and not everyone includes it.
Why a very cheap quote deserves questions
If a London quote is dramatically below the ranges above, ask where the laboratory work is being done, what material is being used, and how much enamel will be removed. Very cheap veneers usually mean one of those three has been compromised, and the cost of correcting poor veneers later exceeds the saving.
Porcelain or Composite: How to Actually Choose
This is the decision most people get stuck on, and the honest answer depends on your priorities rather than one being better.
Composite veneers
Built up directly onto the tooth by hand, in a single appointment, using the same material as a white filling.
Suits you if budget matters, you want it done in one visit, or you would rather keep the option of reversing or changing it later. Little or no enamel removal is usually needed.
The trade offs. They stain over time, particularly with coffee, tea and red wine. They chip more easily than porcelain. They last around five to ten years and are polished or repaired along the way rather than left alone.
Porcelain veneers
Made by a laboratory technician from a mould of your teeth, then bonded on at a second appointment.
Suits you if you want the closest match to natural tooth appearance, you want it to resist staining, and you are planning for the long term. Porcelain handles light the way enamel does, which is the reason it looks more convincing close up.
The trade offs. Higher cost, two or more appointments, and traditionally some enamel removal, though modern thin and no-prep options reduce or remove that requirement.
The short version
Composite for budget, speed and reversibility. Porcelain for appearance and longevity. If you are treating front teeth and intend to keep them looking right for a decade or more, porcelain generally earns the difference. If you want to try the look before committing, composite is the sensible first step.
How Long Do Veneers Last?
- Composite: around 5 to 10 years, with polishing along the way and occasional repairs
- Porcelain: around 10 to 20 years, and sometimes longer
What ends a veneer is rarely the veneer. It is usually decay in the tooth underneath, gum recession exposing the margin at the top, or a chip from biting something hard. Grinding your teeth at night shortens the life of both materials considerably, which is why a guard is often recommended alongside treatment.
Worth understanding before you commit: veneers are a long-term maintenance commitment, not a one-off purchase. Whatever you have done now, expect to be replacing or refreshing it at some point.
How Many Veneers Do You Actually Need?
Fewer than most people assume, and this is where a lot of money gets wasted.
The number depends on your
smile line, meaning how many teeth show when you smile naturally. For some people that is four teeth. For others it is ten.
- Four to six covers the front teeth most people show in a normal smile
- Eight to ten is a full visible-smile makeover, including the teeth that show when you smile widely
- One or two is entirely reasonable for a single chipped or discoloured tooth, though matching a single new veneer to your existing teeth is technically harder than doing several
A practical test: take a photo of yourself smiling normally, not posed. Count the teeth you can see. That is roughly your number.
Be cautious of any plan that jumps straight to ten without discussing your smile line, and equally cautious of treating two front teeth without a plan for how they will match the neighbours.
What the Procedure Involves
Composite, in one appointment
The tooth surface is cleaned and lightly prepared, composite is applied and shaped by hand in layers, then set with a curing light and polished. Usually one to three hours depending on how many teeth. You leave with the finished result.
Porcelain, across two or three appointments
- Consultation and planning. Photographs, moulds, and a discussion about shape and shade. A trial smile at this stage lets you see the proposed result before anything is irreversible.
- Preparation and impressions. Any enamel reduction needed is done, then a precise mould goes to the laboratory. You wear temporary veneers meanwhile.
- Fitting. The veneers are tried in, checked for shade and fit, then bonded permanently and polished.
Two to three weeks between preparation and fitting is normal, since the laboratory work takes time.
Does it hurt?
Preparation is done under local anaesthetic where any enamel is being removed, so you feel pressure rather than pain. Composite veneers that need no preparation often require no anaesthetic at all. Some sensitivity for a few days after preparation is normal and settles.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much are veneers in London?
Market rates in London run roughly £800 to £2,000 per tooth for porcelain and above the £150 to £400 national range for composite. Ours start from £350 for composite and £850 for porcelain per tooth.
How much is a full set of veneers?
Depends how many teeth are in your visible smile, usually six to ten. Multiply the per-tooth price by that number, and confirm whether consultation and adjustments are included.
Do veneers ruin your teeth?
Not inherently. Traditional porcelain veneers require removing some enamel, which is permanent, so the tooth will always need a covering afterwards. Composite and no-prep options remove little or nothing. The amount of enamel removed is the question to ask.
Which is better, porcelain or composite?
Porcelain looks more natural and lasts two to three times longer. Composite costs less, is completed in one visit and is more easily reversed or altered. Neither is better in the abstract.
How long do veneers take?
Composite is a single appointment. Porcelain takes two to three appointments over two to three weeks, because the veneers are made in a laboratory.
Can you whiten veneers?
No. Neither porcelain nor composite responds to whitening. Whiten your natural teeth first if you want a lighter shade, then match the veneers to the result, because doing it the other way round leaves a mismatch.
Can veneers be removed?
Composite can usually be removed and the tooth returned close to its original state. Porcelain that required enamel reduction cannot, because the removed enamel does not grow back and the tooth needs a covering.
Do veneers stain?
Porcelain resists staining well. Composite stains gradually with coffee, tea, red wine and smoking, though polishing at a hygiene appointment restores much of it.
Book a Veneer Consultation in Elephant & Castle
The only way to get a real figure is an examination, because the number of teeth and the state of your enamel decide both the price and which material suits you.
Call
020 7928 4474 or
book online. We are in Elephant and Castle, minutes from Waterloo, Borough, London Bridge and Southwark.
If you are still weighing options, our guides to
composite versus porcelain veneers,
how long veneers last and
no-prep veneers go into more detail. If you already have veneers you are unhappy with, we also see patients for
broken or failing veneers.
Market pricing figures are indicative 2026 UK and London ranges from published cost guides, not our fees. Last reviewed August 2026.
