An alternative to veneers is a process called bonding, in which a tooth-coloured material that looks like the enamel of your teeth is molded and shaped, and then hardened and polished. Bonding can be used to improve the colour and shape of a tooth or close unsightly gaps. Bonding is generally not as permanent a process as veneers, and can be vulnerable to the same kind of staining your natural teeth are prone to. Bonding can also be more prone to chips and cracks than veneers. Crowns and veneers made of porcelain are generally preferred to bonding when such a procedure isn't deemed to be effective in the long run.