Start Building The Smile You’ve Been Picturing
Porcelain veneers fix the exact things that make you cover your mouth when you smile: a chip, a gap, a shade of gray that whitening never quite lifted. At 5 Star Dental Group in San Antonio, Dr. Gilberto Tostado and Dr. Karina Acuña design and fabricate every veneer in their own on-site lab, so the smile you end up with actually looks like yours, just polished.
If you are ready to stop covering your mouth and start showing up in photos again, you are in the right place. We will walk you through what veneers can do, what the process looks like, and how to know if you are a good candidate.
What Veneers Can Do for Your Smile
- They look like real teeth, only better: Ceramic reflects light the way natural enamel does, so your veneers hold up under camera flash and daylight.
- They resist stains: Coffee, wine, and everyday life will not dull ceramic the way they dull natural enamel over time.
- They hold up: With the right care, veneers handle daily use for years without losing their shape or shine.
- They can be conservative: Depending on your teeth, Dr. Tostado may place no-prep veneers that require little or no removal of natural enamel.
- They solve more than one problem at once: Chips, gaps, discoloration, and uneven shape are addressed together, in the same set of veneers, instead of one at a time.
- You get to choose the material: We offer both E-max and feldspathic porcelain veneers, made in-house, so you and Dr. Tostado can pick the one that fits you best, your timeline, and budget.
You get a say in every part of the design before anything is permanently bonded in place. We would rather adjust twice before bonding than have you live with something you are not sure about.
Here’s How We Get You There
You will not leave your first visit with a full set of veneers. This is a process, and we move through it with you, step by step.
- Smile design: You sit down with Dr. Tostado and talk through what you want to change. He takes photos and shows you digital renderings of your future smile so you can see the plan before anything happens to your teeth.
- Preparation: If your teeth need it, Dr. Tostado gently trims away a small amount of enamel to make room for your veneers. You are numbed for this part. If you qualify for no-prep veneers, this step may be skipped entirely. Either way, you wear a temporary set while your permanent veneers are fabricated in our on-site dental lab, whether that’s E-max or feldspathic porcelain.
- Try-in: Before anything is bonded for good, you try on your new veneers. If something looks off, Dr. Tostado adjusts it or sends it back to the lab until it is right.
- Bonding: Once you are happy with how they look, your veneers are permanently bonded in place, polished, and checked against your bite.
Because our lab is on-site, adjustments happen in days, not weeks, and your plan stays in the same hands from sketch to final polish.
Meet the Doctors Behind Your Smile
Who places your veneers matters as much as the material they are made from.
Dr. Gilberto Tostado, DDS, MS holds a master’s degree in restorative dentistry and completed a three-year residency in prosthodontics at the University of Southern California. He is a member of the American College of Prosthodontists, a group that recognizes advanced training specifically in the function and cosmetics of restorative work like veneers. In practice, that means the person designing your smile has spent years studying how veneers hold up under real bite pressure, not just how they look on the day they go in.
Dr. Karina Acuña Malo, DDS, AEGD completed a residency in Advanced Education in General Dentistry at UT Health San Antonio and focuses her practice on protecting as much of your natural tooth structure as possible. Her input helps decide whether prep or no-prep veneers make more sense for your teeth, a decision that shapes your results for years to come.
Together, they fabricate every veneer themselves in the practice’s own on-site lab, whether that’s hand-layering feldspathic porcelain or precision-pressing E-max, so the doctor who designs your smile is the same one who places it. Every veneer also comes with our promise: we will not bond anything for good until you are happy with it. If the shape, shade, or shine is not right, they adjust it or send it back to the lab, however many rounds that takes. See real results in our Smile Gallery, or watch a short walkthrough of what an appointment looks like.
From Our Patients
What Do Veneers Cost?
The honest answer is: it depends. Cost changes based on how many teeth you’re treating, whether you need prep or no-prep veneers, and the specific goals we’re working toward together. At 5 Star Dental Group, E-max veneers start at $825 per tooth, and hand-layered feldspathic porcelain veneers, the kind hand-crafted in our on-site lab, start at $1,584 per tooth. Your exact price depends on how many teeth you are treating and whether you need any preparation first.
We run on a fee-for-service model, so an insurance company never dictates the materials used in your veneers or the quality of your care. We help you navigate any insurance benefits you do have, and we offer financing options that break the cost into manageable monthly payments. The clearest way to get an exact number is a consultation, where we look at your teeth in person and build a plan that fits what you actually want.
Are You a Good Candidate?
Veneers work best when your teeth and gums are already healthy. They solve cosmetic concerns, not decay or gum disease. If you have enough healthy enamel remaining and a stable bite, you are likely a strong candidate.
Veneers may not be the right first step if you grind your teeth heavily without a nightguard, if you have active gum disease or untreated decay, or if your main concern is crooked or misaligned teeth rather than color, shape, or chips. In those cases, we may recommend treating the underlying issue first, or considering an option like SureSmile Aligners instead. The only way to know for certain is a consultation, where Dr. Tostado or Dr. Acuña examines your teeth in person and talks through what will actually get you the result you want.
Veneers vs. Dental Bonding: Which One Is Right for You?
Both veneers and bonding fix chips, gaps, and discoloration. The difference comes down to how much change you want and how long you want it to last.
| Feature | Veneers | Dental Bonding |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Multiple imperfections, larger cosmetic changes | Minor chips, small gaps, light reshaping |
| Material | E-max or feldspathic porcelain, custom made in-house | Tooth colored composite resin |
| Visits needed | Several visits (design, prep, try-in, bonding) | Usually one visit |
| Durability | Stronger and more stain resistant, lasts longer | Less durable, more prone to staining and chipping over time |
| Tooth prep | Minimal to moderate, or none with no-prep veneers | Minimal, often just light polishing |
If your teeth only need a small touch-up, bonding might be all you need. Dr. Tostado will tell you honestly when that is the case instead of steering you toward a bigger treatment than necessary. If you want a more complete, long-term transformation, veneers are usually the better investment.
Veneers vs. SureSmile Aligners: Solving Different Problems
This one trips people up because both treatments change how your smile looks, but they solve different problems, and sometimes you need both.
| Feature | Veneers | SureSmile Aligners |
|---|---|---|
| What it fixes | Color, shape, chips, small gaps, surface imperfections | Crooked, crowded, or misaligned teeth, and bite issues |
| How it works | Custom shells bonded over your existing teeth | Clear aligners gradually move your teeth into position |
| Timeline | Completed in a few visits | Typically several months to over a year |
| Result | Changes how your teeth look right away | Changes where your teeth sit over time |
If your teeth are relatively straight but you do not love their color, shape, or a chip here and there, veneers get you there fast. If your teeth are noticeably misaligned or your bite feels off, straightening with SureSmile Aligners first, sometimes followed by veneers for any remaining cosmetic details, usually gets you a result that lasts longer. We can help you figure out which path, or which combination, actually fixes what is bothering you.
Your Next Step
You do not have to keep covering your mouth in photos, or holding back a laugh you would otherwise let go.
If you are ready to see what your smile could look like, schedule a consultation at our office in San Antonio, Tx. We will walk you through your options, answer every question you bring, and never push you toward more treatment than you actually need.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between E-max and feldspathic porcelain veneers?
E-max veneers are a pressed ceramic, made from a single strong block of material in a lab. Feldspathic porcelain veneers are hand-layered by a ceramist, tooth by tooth, which lets them mimic the translucency of natural enamel a little more precisely, it’s also the technique used in our on-site lab. Both are strong and natural-looking. Dr. Tostado can help you decide which fits your smile and budget during a consultation.
Do veneers hurt?
Most patients feel little to no discomfort. If your teeth need light enamel removal, you are numbed for that part, and no-prep veneers may skip this step entirely.
Are veneers permanent?
Traditional veneers that require enamel removal are a permanent commitment, since that enamel does not grow back. No-prep veneers are more conservative and, in some cases, may be reversible. Dr. Tostado can tell you which approach fits your teeth once he has examined them.
Can veneers be whitened?
No. Neither E-max nor feldspathic porcelain responds to whitening treatments the way natural enamel does. Many patients whiten their natural teeth first, then match their veneer shade to that result.
Will my veneers look fake?
Not when they are designed well. Ceramic reflects light the way natural enamel does, and because yours are custom made specifically for your smile, they are built to blend in rather than stand out.
Does insurance cover veneers?
Veneers are typically considered cosmetic, so most dental insurance does not cover them. Our team can help you understand your specific benefits, and we offer financing options if you would like to spread out the cost.
How long do veneers last?
With good care, veneers typically last 10 to 15 years, and often longer. Regular cleanings, avoiding using your teeth as tools, and wearing a nightguard if you grind or clench all help them go the distance. When one eventually needs attention, it is usually a simple replacement, not a sign that something went wrong.