Composite bonding vs veneers: what do they cost?
Three ways to change the look of front teeth, compared on published prices from practices across the North of England.
Written by Sul Malik, dental student at Newcastle University and founder of DentalCompare · Updated 30 October 2026 · Prices checked October 2026
Composite bonding
Typical (median)
£275
From £135 · 91 practices publish a price
Full composite bonding pricesComposite veneers
Typical (median)
£350
From £120 · 88 practices publish a price
2 of these prices are per unit; a bridge usually has two or three units.
3 package or set prices not included.
Full composite veneers pricesPorcelain veneers
Typical (median)
£700
From £310 · 162 practices publish a price
2 of these prices are per unit; a bridge usually has two or three units.
Full porcelain veneers pricesPublished private "from" prices, last checked October 2026.
Side by side
| Feature | Composite bonding | Composite veneers | Porcelain veneers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical private price | £275 | £350 | £700 |
| How it is made | Tooth-coloured resin added by the dentist in the chair | Resin built up over the whole front of the tooth in the chair | Ceramic shell made in a dental laboratory |
| Appointments | Usually one | Usually one | Two or more |
| Tooth preparation | Little or none in most cases | Little or none in most cases | Usually some enamel removed, which cannot be undone |
| Typical use | Small chips, gaps and edges | Changing shape and colour of several teeth | Bigger changes to shape and colour |
| On the NHS? | No, when done for appearance | No, when done for appearance | No, when done for appearance |
Typical prices by area
| Area | Composite bonding | Composite veneers | Porcelain veneers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newcastle | £250 (10) | £349 (17) | £650 (24) |
| Durham | £218 (8) | £280 (8) | £610 (15) |
| Sunderland | £300 (7) | £250 (4) | £723 (6) |
| Middlesbrough | £299 (5) | £395 (3) | £752 (5) |
| Gateshead | £300 (5) | £331 (9) | £575 (8) |
| North Tyneside | £248 (4) | £375 (4) | £495 (7) |
| South Tyneside | £238 (4) | £320 (3) | £698 (8) |
| Stockton-on-Tees | £295 (9) | £388.22 (9) | £700 (9) |
| Northumberland | £275 (9) | £390 (7) | £752.50 (7) |
| York | £300 (9) | £399 (5) | £828 (27) |
| North Yorkshire | £252 (5) | £420 (7) | £650 (23) |
Typical (median) published price; number of practices in brackets. Only areas where at least 3 practices publish a price for every option are shown.
Before you decide
- Prices are almost always per tooth, so multiply by the number of teeth you are thinking about.
- Whitening does not change the colour of composite or porcelain, so if you want lighter teeth, practices usually suggest whitening first.
- Which option suits you depends on your teeth and what you want to change, which a dentist can only judge after examining you.
This page compares published prices and general features. It isn't clinical advice: the right option for you depends on an examination by a dentist.