D2962 — Labial veneer (porcelain laminate) — indirect
A veneer is a thin facing bonded to the front of a tooth to change its colour, shape or alignment. D2962 is the version in a thin porcelain laminate made in a laboratory.
Of the three codes covering veneer, this is the one that appears most often on treatment plans, so it is the figure most people are quoted. For the procedure itself — how the appointments run, how long the result lasts, what the alternatives are — see our veneer guide.
This page explains what that code number commits the office to, what it usually costs, how plans treat it, and — the part that causes most of the confusion — how it differs from the codes sitting immediately either side of it.
What the code commits to
Material — a thin porcelain laminate made in a laboratory. A laminate is a shell of porcelain, typically half a millimetre thick, bonded to the front of a prepared tooth. Almost all of the tooth is left intact — the preparation stays within enamel where possible — and the strength comes from the bond between porcelain and enamel rather than from the thickness of the material. Bonded to enamel it is remarkably durable; bonded to dentine it is considerably less so, which is why the extent of the preparation matters more here than in most restorative work. The material is part of the code rather than a choice made afterwards, so D2962 is only the right code if that is what was actually used.
Not to be confused with
D2961 — Composite veneer (laboratory-fabricated): It specifies tooth-coloured composite resin rather than a thin porcelain laminate made in a laboratory.
D2960 — Composite veneer (chairside / direct bonding): It specifies tooth-coloured composite resin rather than a thin porcelain laminate made in a laboratory.
Those two codes and D2962 are the whole group — nothing else describes this procedure. Two of these codes on one estimate is not necessarily an error, but it is always worth asking what each line is for.
Every code in this group
These codes describe the same broad procedure and differ in one respect each. Each has its own page with its own fee range and coverage notes.
| Code | Procedure |
|---|---|
| D2962 | Labial veneer (porcelain laminate) — indirect — this page |
| D2960 | Composite veneer (chairside / direct bonding) |
| D2961 | Composite veneer (laboratory-fabricated) |
Questions about D2962
What is D2962 on my dental bill?
Labial veneer (porcelain laminate), indirect, reported under a single restorative code.
What is the typical fee for D2962?
Plan for $1,000–$2,800 as the full fee. Two practices a few miles apart can sit at opposite ends of that range for the same work.
Does dental insurance cover D2962?
Plans generally pay it as cosmetic treatment, usually 0%, subject to whatever is left of your maximum for the year.
What is the difference between D2962 and D2961?
D2961 is composite veneer, laboratory-fabricated: it specifies tooth-coloured composite resin rather than a thin porcelain laminate made in a laboratory. The rest of the procedure is the same, which is why the two get substituted for one another on estimates.
Also known as: veneer, porcelain veneer, composite bonding, smile makeover, laminate.