The DuraThin veneer lab

What a DuraThin veneer is

DuraThin veneers are extremely thin, generally 0.2 to 0.4mm, and once bonded they are unbelievably strong. They let you make shade changes, correct ortho problems, and make other cosmetic improvements while removing little or no patient enamel. For patients who are worried about losing tooth structure, that is usually the conversation that gets the case started.

We build DuraThin veneers with a traditional porcelain build-up technique instead of pressed ceramics. All of the color is built into the veneer rather than painted on the surface. That lets us use every bit of the available space: we block out the colors you want gone and let the good qualities of the natural tooth show through.

Why the lab matters on a prepless case

On a no-prep case, nature sets the prep design instead of the bur. That puts more of the outcome on porcelain selection. Too much opacity and the margins show, with little light coming through from the tooth. Too much translucency and the whole tooth shows through and the value drops. Mark wrote about this in No-Prep Veneers: Enhancing the Natural Tooth (Oral Health, November 2011), including a study where more than 50 veneers were made on tooth #9 to see how value and shade behave over a natural tooth.

Mark and Dr. Wells have refined the DuraThin process since 2003. We have seen more long-term success, better aesthetics, and higher patient satisfaction with DuraThin than with any other product on the market. Mark also teaches hands-on DuraThin veneer courses with Dr. Wells for dentists across the country, so the technique you learn in the course is the same one used on your case at the bench.

Sending a DuraThin case

• Plan the design first. Our 2026 prescription form has a DuraThin Wax-up option, a Digital Mockup option, and a DuraThin / Feldspathic prepless veneer option. A diagnostic wax-up comes with a prep guide and siltech matrix.
• Photos by email. Follow the DuraThin photo guide and send the series to [email protected], so we can start planning before the box arrives.
• Fill in the details. Central and cuspid lengths, surface texture, incisal translucency, and the shade of the restoration and stump all have a place on the RX.
• Schedule three weeks out. Cosmetic cases take about two weeks in the lab. Book the seat roughly three weeks from the day you ship and write the appointment on the RX.
• Shipping is handled. Every cosmetic case includes a prepaid FedEx 2-Day airbill. A packaging and handling fee is added to the case. Details are on Work With Us.

Not sure a patient is a DuraThin candidate? Send models and photos for a case evaluation and Mark will give you his opinion on material choice and esthetics. You can see finished work on our before and after page.

More from the lab

• No-prep and minimal-prep veneers
• Crown and bridge materials: feldspathic, eMax, zirconia, PFM
• Implant crowns, bridges, and custom abutments
• Our lab in Lindon, Utah
• All products and services
• Before and after cases
• Lab forms, shipping, and policies

Questions doctors ask

Who developed DuraThin veneers?

Mark Willes, the founder of Experience Dental Studio, developed DuraThin veneers with Dr. Dennis Wells in 2003.

How thin is a DuraThin veneer?

DuraThin veneers are generally 0.2 to 0.4mm thick and are very strong once bonded.

Are DuraThin veneers pressed?

No. We use a traditional porcelain build-up technique, so the color is built into the veneer instead of added to the surface.

How long does a DuraThin case take?

Cosmetic cases take about two weeks in the lab. Schedule the patient roughly three weeks from the day you ship.