By Dr. Gregg Barry · Published 16 July 2026
Here’s a conversation we have more often than you’d think. Someone comes in, they’ve been quoted for veneers somewhere, and they want us to do the same — cover a few crooked or crowded front teeth and be done with it. And sometimes, honestly, that’s exactly the right plan. But sometimes the smarter, longer-lasting answer is to move the teeth first, with orthodontics, and only then do the cosmetic work. That decision — when to straighten before you veneer — is one of the most important calls in cosmetic dentistry, and it’s the whole point of what we call a multidisciplinary smile case.
We really love this stuff, because it’s where planning beats speed. Let’s talk through it honestly.
When does orthodontics need to come before veneers?
Orthodontics should generally come before veneers in Dublin whenever teeth are significantly crowded, rotated, or misaligned — moving them first can mean 0.3–0.5mm less enamel removed per tooth, and a far more conservative final result.
Here’s the honest logic. A veneer is a thin shell bonded to the front of a tooth. It can absolutely correct mild irregularities — a slightly turned tooth, a small gap, teeth that don’t quite match. But when a tooth is sitting well out of line, there are only two ways to make a veneer look straight: build the veneer out thick to fake the position (which looks bulky and catches stain), or grind the tooth back a lot so the veneer can sit flush. Neither is great for the tooth. Straighten it first with braces or aligners, and the tooth is already where it needs to be — so the veneer can be wafer-thin, minimally prepped, and bonded mostly to enamel. That last part matters more than almost anything else, which brings us to the next question.
Why not just cover crooked teeth with veneers?
Veneers bonded to enamel survive above 90% at 15 and 20 years, but that longevity depends on preserving enamel — masking heavy crowding often means cutting into dentine, where bonds are weaker and the risk rises.
The research backs this up — a 2021 systematic review in the European Journal of Dentistry found porcelain veneers bonded to enamel achieving survival rates above 90% at both 15 and 20 years, with ceramic fracture (not the tooth itself) being the most common eventual issue, at around 45% of failures. What we see in the chair matches that: the veneers that last are the ones bonded to healthy enamel on well-positioned teeth. When you try to disguise real misalignment purely with porcelain, you often end up removing more tooth than you’d like — and once you’re bonding to dentine instead of enamel, you’ve traded away some of that long-term reliability. So “just cover them” is sometimes fine and sometimes a false economy. The trick is knowing which case is which.
How do braces or Invisalign change what the veneers need to do?
Straightening first with clear aligners typically takes 6 to 18 months in Dublin and, for mild-to-moderate cases, finishes on average around six months faster than fixed braces — leaving teeth that need far less cosmetic correction.
A systematic review in BMC Oral Health (Ke et al., 2019) found no statistically significant difference in outcomes between clear aligners and fixed braces for mild-to-moderate cases, with aligners completing treatment roughly six months faster on average. That’s genuinely useful when we’re planning a smile — because once the teeth are aligned, the cosmetic phase gets simpler and gentler. Instead of asking veneers to correct position and shape and colour, we only ask them to refine shape and colour. In plenty of cases, patients who thought they needed eight veneers end up needing four — or find that a bit of orthodontics plus some hand-layered composite bonding gets them there with no porcelain at all. (If you’re weighing how much veneer work you actually need, we’ve written a guide on how many veneers you might need.)
Who handles the orthodontics — and who does the veneers?
In a Docklands Dental multidisciplinary case, the orthodontics is done by a specialist orthodontist at ISCD, while the restorative and cosmetic phase stays with Dr. Gregg Barry at Docklands — one plan, two sets of specialist hands.
Look, this is where “multidisciplinary” stops being a buzzword and starts being the actual value. Moving teeth well is a specialist skill; bonding beautiful, natural-looking porcelain is a different specialist skill. We don’t pretend to be brilliant at both. For the orthodontic phase we work closely with ISCD (the Institute of Specialist and Cosmetic Dentistry) — the specialist practice we collaborate with — where specialist orthodontists Dr. Susan O’Connell and Dr. Erfan Salloum plan and run the tooth movement. Dr. Salloum also offers lingual braces, bonded behind the teeth, for the cases that suit fixed appliances better than aligners. Then the case comes back to us at Docklands for the veneers or bonding. Crucially, it’s one shared plan agreed up front, not two disconnected treatments — the orthodontist knows exactly where the teeth need to finish so the cosmetic result works, and we’re involved from the start so nothing gets moved into a position that makes the veneers harder later.
How long does the combined treatment take, and what does it cost?
A combined orthodontics-then-veneers plan in Dublin usually runs 9 to 24 months end to end, with a combined cost of €7,300 to €13,100 depending on the case (aligners at ISCD plus four to eight feldspathic veneers).
Let’s be transparent, because vague answers help no one. Invisalign is provided by the specialist orthodontists at ISCD rather than by us, and is typically quoted at €2,500 to €3,500 depending on how many aligners the case needs. On the cosmetic side, our hand-layered feldspathic veneers are €1,200 per tooth, and composite veneers are €450 per tooth if bonding is the better route for you. A case with aligner treatment plus four to six feldspathic veneers comes to €7,300–€10,700. It sounds like a lot up front, and it is a real investment. But when you spread it over the 15–20 years good enamel-bonded veneers can last, it reads very differently. For the full picture across every treatment tier, our smile makeover cost guide breaks the numbers down honestly. We also offer a deeper look at the Invisalign-first-then-veneers route specifically.
What does a multidisciplinary smile case actually look like, step by step?
A typical Dublin case runs through five stages — joint planning, a Digital Smile Design preview (€350), orthodontics, a settling period, then veneers or bonding — over roughly 9 to 24 months.
In plain terms: first, we sit down together and map the whole plan, orthodontist and cosmetic dentist agreeing where the teeth need to end up. We’ll usually do a Digital Smile Design mock-up (a €350 planning fee) so you can actually see the target before anyone touches a tooth. Then the aligners or braces do their work over several months. After the teeth are in their new positions, we let things settle for a short while. Only then do we do the final cosmetic phase — the veneers or bonding — onto teeth that are now straight, healthy and needing the least possible preparation. No rushing, no skipping steps. That sequence is the expertise.
Is it always worth straightening first?
No — and any honest Dublin dentist will tell you that. For mild irregularities, veneers or bonding alone can be the right, faster, less expensive choice; orthodontics-first earns its place only when misalignment is genuinely significant.
We’re not here to sell you extra treatment. If your teeth are only slightly out and your enamel is healthy, adding a year of orthodontics might be overkill — well-placed veneers or bonding could give you a lovely result sooner. The whole point of a proper consultation is to work out which camp you’re in. Sometimes the answer is “straighten first, it’ll be worth it.” Sometimes it’s “you don’t need any of that.” Both answers are wins, as long as they’re the honest one for your mouth. No pressure, no hard sell — just a conversation about what actually gives you the best long-term result.
Frequently asked questions
Do I really need braces before veneers if my teeth are only a little crooked?
Usually not. Mild irregularities are exactly what veneers and composite bonding are good at correcting. Orthodontics-first makes sense when teeth are significantly crowded, rotated or misaligned — because straightening them means we remove far less tooth structure for the veneers, which protects long-term health. At a consultation we’ll tell you honestly which applies to you.
Can Invisalign fix everything so I don’t need veneers at all?
Sometimes, yes. Aligners change tooth position but not tooth shape or colour. If your teeth are a good shape and shade and just need straightening, orthodontics alone may be all you need. If you also want to change shape, size or colour, that’s where veneers or bonding come in afterwards. Many patients need far less cosmetic work once the teeth are aligned.
Who does the orthodontics — is it done at Docklands Dental?
The orthodontic phase is handled by the specialist orthodontists at ISCD, Dr. Susan O’Connell and Dr. Erfan Salloum — the specialist practice we work closely with. The restorative and cosmetic phase (the veneers or bonding) is done by Dr. Gregg Barry here at Docklands Dental. It’s one shared treatment plan agreed from the start, so the two phases fit together seamlessly.
How much does a combined orthodontics-and-veneers plan cost in Dublin?
It depends on how much straightening and how many veneers are involved, but a combined plan with four to eight feldspathic veneers comes to €7,300 to €13,100. Invisalign is provided and quoted by ISCD and typically runs €2,500 to €3,500, feldspathic veneers are €1,200 per tooth, and composite veneers €450 per tooth. We’ll always give you a clear, itemised plan before you commit to anything.
Thinking about straightening before veneers? Let’s talk it through
The best cosmetic results almost always come from good planning, not from rushing to the finish. If you’re wondering whether orthodontics-first is right for you — or whether you can skip it — the honest way to find out is a proper consultation where we look at your teeth, your goals and your budget together.
Come and have a chat with us. No pressure, no hard sell — just a conversation.
Docklands Dental
1 Forbes Street, Grand Canal Dock, Dublin 2, D02 FN53
Phone: 01 636 0192
Email: hello@docklandsdental.ie
Web: docklandsdental.ie
Thinking about veneers? You can book a cosmetic consultation online — thirty minutes with one of our dentists to look at your teeth and talk through the options and what they would cost (€80, as listed on our price list).
Frequently asked questions
Who does the orthodontics for a Docklands Dental smile case?
The orthodontic phase is handled by the specialist orthodontists at ISCD (the Institute of Specialist and Cosmetic Dentistry), Dr. Susan O’Connell and Dr. Erfan Salloum, the specialist practice Docklands Dental works closely with. The restorative and cosmetic phase is done by Dr. Gregg Barry at Docklands Dental, as one shared treatment plan agreed from the start.
