How Long Do Veneers Last? What the Studies Show

What the studies show

The figures below describe veneers staying in the mouth. They pool many patients and dentists, so they are not a forecast for one person's teeth.

• A review of 25 studies (2021). It covered 6,500 ceramic veneers followed for 3 to 21 years. About 95 in 100 were still in place at ten years¹.
• A review of 29 studies by material (2025). Still in place at about ten years: about 96 in 100 feldspathic porcelain, 94 in 100 leucite-reinforced and 97 in 100 lithium disilicate veneers². The difference between these materials was not significant.
• A review of 46 articles on glass-ceramic restorations (2024). With a shorter average follow-up of 6.5 years and a mix of study types, about 90 in 100 veneers⁴ were still in place.
• Zirconia veneers. The 2025 review found results only over an average of 2.6 years; there are no long-term data.

The figures here stop at about ten years, and this article gives none for later. A ten-year figure is not an expiry date either: it describes a group, not your own veneers.

What makes a veneer last longer or shorter

How much enamel is kept

Ceramic bonds more reliably to enamel than to the dentine beneath it. In a study of 580 veneers followed for up to 12 years, veneers bonded to dentine were about 10 times as likely to fail⁵. A second study followed 672 veneers in 189 patients for up to 15 years, about 6 on average. Estimated survival was about 97 in 100 where the preparation stayed in enamel⁶. Where a large area of dentine was exposed, it was about 94 in 100. Both studies were observational: they show an association, not proof of cause.

This is one reason why crowded or heavily filled teeth, and teeth short of enamel, are often better served by something else first. That may be orthodontic treatment, bonding or, for a badly damaged tooth, a crown. Crowns are explained on our zirconia crowns page.

Clenching and grinding

Clenching or grinding raises the risk of fracture, and for some people veneers may not be suitable for that reason. A retrospective study followed 70 patients with veneers, 30 of whom ground their teeth. Among those 30, the ones who wore a night guard had fewer fractures⁷; this was not a randomised comparison. A night guard may reduce the risk; it does not remove it.

Habits and care

Biting nails, pens, ice or other hard objects with the front teeth can chip a veneer's edge. A veneer does not protect the tooth from decay, and new decay can start at its edge. Daily cleaning and check-ups matter as much as the ceramic.

How veneers fail

Fracture and coming off are the main reasons veneers fail¹, and they happen mostly in the early years. Not every crack or small chip means a veneer has to be replaced; a small chip at the edge can often be smoothed or repaired.

The nerve of the tooth can also be affected, and some teeth need root canal treatment later. The deeper the preparation, the higher this risk.

Over the years, other changes can appear.

• The edge of the veneer can stain, or show if the gum recedes.
• New decay can start at the edge.
• The natural teeth next to the veneers can change colour while the ceramic does not, so a colour difference appears.

Replacing a veneer can take a little more tissue from the tooth each time.

Looking after veneers

• Brush twice a day with fluoride toothpaste, and clean between your teeth every day.
• Do not bite hard objects with your front teeth: nails, pens, ice, nutshells.
• If you clench or grind, wear your night guard every night.
• Keep to regular check-ups; a small chip at the edge is easier to deal with early.
• Whitening does not change the colour of ceramic. If you want your natural teeth whiter, do it before the veneers are made.

When to see a dentist

Contact your dentist if any of the following happens.

• A veneer cracks, chips or feels rough at the edge.
• A veneer comes off: keep it, and do not glue it back yourself.
• Sensitivity lasts more than a few weeks or keeps getting worse.
• Pain starts on its own or wakes you at night.
• The gum around a veneer swells, bleeds or has a discharge.
• Your bite feels high.

Emergencies. Increasing pain, facial swelling or a fever: see a dentist without waiting. Difficulty breathing or swallowing, or swelling in the mouth or neck that spreads quickly: go to an emergency department or call 112.

Frequently asked questions