What is the single-layer monochromatic technique?

Each veneer is built from one shade of composite, placed in a single layer, rather than several shades stacked to imitate the dentine and enamel underneath. The dentist then shapes, textures and polishes it by hand. Your dentist will tell you at the consultation whether it suits your teeth and the result you want.

Will my result look like this?

Every smile is different. What can be achieved depends on your teeth, gums and bite, and on whether anything such as decay or gum disease needs treating first. Your dentist will tell you what is realistic for your teeth, and the alternatives, before you decide.

Case study · Composite veneers

Composite veneers: a smile journey with Dr Amir

This is one patient’s composite veneers at our practice on Earl Grey Street, shown stage by stage: the smile before treatment, the veneers being sculpted onto each tooth, the detail work before polishing, and the finished result. Treatment by Dr Amir Hussein Shahrbabaki (GDC 318837), using the single-layer monochromatic technique.

Before and after

Before composite veneers: uneven edges and shade on the upper front teeth

After composite veneers by Dr Amir: even, polished upper front teeth

Before treatment, then the polished composite veneers. Both photographs are cropped to the same framing; we have not colour-edited either of them.

01 · The starting point

The upper front teeth had uneven edges and an uneven shade along the smile line. The treatment was composite veneers: tooth-coloured composite sculpted directly onto the front surface of each tooth, in the chair. As with all our cosmetic treatment, the total cost is agreed in writing before anything starts.

02 · One shade, one layer

Dr Amir used the single-layer monochromatic technique. Each veneer is built from one shade of composite, placed in a single layer, rather than several shades stacked to imitate the layers of a natural tooth. The shape, surface and finish then come from the sculpting and polishing.

03 · Sculpted tooth by tooth

A composite veneer being sculpted on an upper front tooth, with a matrix strip between the teeth — One tooth at a time, with a thin matrix strip separating it from its neighbour.

Each veneer is sculpted by hand, one tooth at a time. A thin matrix strip sits between the tooth being worked on and the one next to it, so each contact point is shaped cleanly and the teeth stay separate.

04 · Contouring and surface characterisation

Composite veneers before polishing, with pencil marks mapping the line angles and surface texture — Pencil marks map the line angles and texture before the final shaping.

Before polishing, pencil marks map each tooth’s line angles and surface texture. They guide the final contouring, which aims to make the finished veneers catch the light more like natural enamel than a flat, uniform surface would.

05 · The result

The finished composite veneers by Dr Amir — The polished composite veneers.

Polished composite veneers across the upper front teeth: an even shade, even edges and teeth in proportion with the smile. If composite picks up a stain or a chip over time, it can usually be polished or repaired in the chair rather than replaced. Your dentist will tell you what a repair involves, and what it costs, before doing it.

Individual results vary.

About Dr Amir

Dr Amir Hussein Shahrbabaki (GDC 318837, BDS 2024, CEU Cardenal Herrera, Spain) is a general dentist at City Dental Care with a strong interest in cosmetic and restorative dentistry, including composite bonding, veneers and clear aligners. Meet him and the rest of the team on our team page.

Thinking about composite veneers?

Composite veneers are from £350 per tooth. The cosmetic consultation is free: what is achievable for your teeth, whether composite veneers or another option suits you better, and the price in writing. We take a deposit when you book, under our Failure to Attend policy, and it is refunded when you attend; we confirm the amount when you book. A free consultation is an initial consultation, not a full dental examination. If you need or want a full examination, it is charged at our published private fee: £85 for new patients and £55 for existing patients, x-rays included. NHS examinations are free for NHS patients of the practice. Evenings until 8pm, Monday to Thursday (we close at 5pm on Friday).

Book a consultation Call 0131 228 2442 Composite veneers

More reading: the composite bonding cost guide, how composite compares with porcelain veneers, and more real cases in our smile gallery.