Background: Due to their high aesthetic outcome and long-term predictability, laminate veneers have become a common restorative procedure for anterior teeth. However, because of the variety in the preparation designs and the material types, the clinician faces a dilemma of which approach to use.
Aim: To compare the survival rate of dental veneers according to different preparation designs and different material types. The sub-aim is to reach a favourable preparation design and material based on scientific evidence.
Methods: Comprehensive electronic search of the dental literature via PUBMED, MEDLINE and Scopus databases was performed using the following keywords: "porcelain veneers", "composite veneers", "all-ceramic veneers", "success of porcelain veneers", "preparation design", "preparation geometry", "patient's satisfaction". Additionally, references from the selected studies and reviews were searched for more information.
Results: Under the limitations of the available literature, the clinician preference is the decisive factor for choosing the preparation design. Nonetheless, incisal overlap preparation seems to have the most predictable outcome from all the preparation designs.
Conclusion: Porcelain veneers show excellent aesthetic results and predictable longevity of the treatment, while composite veneers can be considered as a good conservative option, but with less durability.
Keywords: anterior teeth; laminate veneers; restorative procedure; survival rate of dental veneers.