From $119 per tooth. Two 90-minute sessions across two days, top arch one day, bottom arch the next, with room for edits in between. Direct chairside layered resin, reversible, and 80–90% less than US pricing.
A composite veneer is a tooth-coloured resin layered directly onto the front of your tooth, hardened with a curing light, then shaped and polished by hand. There is no lab. There is no temporary stage. The dentist who designs it is the same dentist who places it, and they finish it while you're in the chair.
Porcelain veneers are milled or pressed in a lab, then bonded to your teeth at a second appointment. Composite skips both steps, the dentist layers the resin directly onto your prepared tooth, sculpting shade and shape as they go. You see the result evolve in real time and approve every layer.
3M Filtek Universal nano-hybrid composite, the same brand specified by US cosmetic dentists charging $1,500+ per tooth. We layer multiple shades for natural depth, then polish to a high gloss with diamond-impregnated discs and a final glaze.
Most composite cases need little to no enamel removal, a light etch is enough for the resin to bond. That means if you decide to upgrade to porcelain in five years, your underlying teeth are still intact. Few cosmetic options give you that flexibility.
Each case below was finished in our two-day, two-session flow. More on the full results gallery.
Composite is the right call when budget, speed, or reversibility matter. If you're after the longest-lasting result, see porcelain instead.
Two 90-minute sessions across two days. No lab fabrication, no temporaries, no third visit needed for finals.
Direct layering is ideal for diastema closure on one or two teeth. Porcelain is overkill for a single-tooth fix.
Edge wear and small chips bond beautifully with composite, and the repair blends invisibly into adjacent enamel.
At $119 per tooth, a full 20-tooth smile lands around $2,380, less than half the cost of the same set in porcelain.
Composite is reversible. Use it to test a shape and shade you've never had before, upgrade to porcelain in 5–8 years if you love it.
Composite is forgiving for everyday wear, but heavy bruxism wears it faster than porcelain. We assess this in the consult and recommend honestly.
We split a full smile across two 90-minute sessions, top arch one day, bottom arch the next, for your comfort and to leave room for fine-tuning between visits. Single-tooth cases finish in one morning.
Send photos of your smile. We send back a personalized plan, total cost, and a target shade and shape within 24 hours. No obligation.
In-clinic shade match and a digital smile preview. Then we layer, sculpt and polish the first arch (usually the upper) in one comfortable session. You leave with half the new smile already finished.
Spend an evening with the new upper arch, eating, drinking water, smiling in the mirror. If anything feels off (length, curve, shade), we know exactly what to adjust the next day.
The lower arch is placed and finished. Any small tweaks to the upper from yesterday, shape, shade, length, polish, are done in the same session. Bite checked and balanced.
Final photos, written aftercare guide, WhatsApp follow-up scheduled. You walk out with the smile you came for and a multi-year warranty in place.
Same brand of composite resin. Same digital design tools. Same hand-finishing. The price gap is overhead, not quality.
Considering porcelain or zirconia instead? Compare all three on the veneers guide or see the package pricing on veneers packages.
Composite is more forgiving than porcelain in some ways and more demanding in others. The habits below add years to its life.
Composite stains where porcelain doesn't. Rinse with water after dark drinks, and book a polish every 12–18 months, it brings the original shade right back.
Avoid charcoal and whitening pastes, they're abrasive and dull the polish. A regular fluoride toothpaste with a soft brush keeps the surface glossy.
Composite is strong but not as hard as porcelain. Skip chewing ice, biting fingernails, or opening packaging with your teeth.
Bruxism wears composite faster than porcelain. If your dentist sees wear patterns, we make a custom guard before you fly home, it doubles the lifespan.
Composite's biggest advantage: a 30-minute polish refreshes the surface, removes stains, and smooths small chips, all chairside, no remake needed.
If a single veneer chips, message us on WhatsApp. A local dentist can usually re-bond a chip; if not, we cover the repair under warranty, including a return flight if needed.
Real composite patients, talking about their two-day visit to Medellín, the team, the result, and what surprised them most. Watch on the page or open on YouTube.
The questions we hear most about composite specifically.
Composite veneers at Colombia Care Dental start at $119 per tooth, about 80–90% less than US pricing, where composite typically costs $1,000–$2,500 per tooth. A full set of 20 teeth is roughly $2,380.
5–8 years on average with good care. Unlike porcelain, composite can be polished or repaired chairside without replacing the entire veneer, a single chip is a 30-minute appointment, not a remake.
For a full smile, we recommend two 90-minute sessions across two days, top arch one day, bottom arch the next, with room for edits in between. Single-tooth cases (chip, gap, single shade match) finish in one morning. There's no lab fabrication and no temporary stage.
They can, coffee, red wine, dark teas, and tobacco are the most common culprits. The fix is straightforward: a chairside polish every 12–18 months removes surface stains and restores the original shade. Avoiding charcoal and whitening pastes also helps because they scratch the polish.
Composite is faster, cheaper, less invasive, and repairable, best for budget-conscious cases, single-tooth fixes, or as a first step before committing to porcelain. Porcelain is more durable (15–20+ years), more stain-resistant, and feels closer to natural enamel, best for full smile redesigns and long-term results.
Yes. Composite is reversible, most cases need little to no enamel removal, so the underlying tooth is still intact. When you're ready for porcelain in 5–8 years, the composite is removed and porcelain veneers are placed on the same teeth with no permanent damage done.
Practical guides written for international patients deciding on composite, costs, comparisons, aftercare, and trip planning.
A side-by-side breakdown: lifespan, cost, repairability, look-and-feel, and the patient profiles each material fits best.
A third material to weigh: zirconia is stronger, porcelain has slightly better translucency, and the trade-off matters for grinders.
What a veneers trip to Medellín actually looks like, day by day. From the airport to recovery, the schedule we use for international patients.
