Veneers and Crowns are both cosmetic dental restoration procedures performed to obtain a wonderful and attractive smile and improve the teeth’ shape and look.
What are veneers and crowns?
Veneers
Dental veneers are thin layers of porcelain shells covering the surface of the teeth. They are made to improve the shape of the front surface of teeth that are stained, or damaged.
Porcelain veneers are often recommended for chipped, distorted, or gapped teeth. Veneers are typically the best option for people with appearance issues in their front teeth. Veneers can help you enjoy a beautiful smile.
Crowns
The dental crown is a layer covering the entire damaged tooth. They are used to restore a tooth’s shape and integrity to give it a wonderful appearance. They are often recommended for decayed teeth that cannot be fixed with fillings.
Crowns can be created from many materials such as porcelain, metal, or a combination. Porcelain crowns have the most natural appearance so they are commonly used for front teeth. On the other side, metal crowns are more durable and are typically used for back teeth.
Is it better to have veneers or crowns?
There is no typical answer as to whether crowns or veneers for front teeth are better. It varies from case to case and it depends on the conditions of your teeth and what your teeth need, so you should ask your dentist. (Contact us for Inquiries)
Difference between Dental Crowns vs Veneers.
The most significant difference is that a veneer covers only the front of your tooth and a crown covers the entire tooth.
Crowns are about 2 mm in thickness but veneers are very thin layers of porcelain or other materials, about 1 (mm) in thickness.
Dental crowns are used to replace the entire tooth, while dental veneers are used to improve the appearance of the tooth’s front surface. Both crowns and veneers are made from porcelain or composite resin and can last many years with proper care.
How Does the Procedure Work?
The procedures of crowns:
- The dentist will obtain an impression of the tooth by scanning or by making a mold. Then the image or mold will be sent to a lab for fabrication of the crown.
- The dentist may put a temporary crown on your ground-down tooth so that the patient can use his tooth while the permanent crown is being created.
- When the permanent crown is ready to place, the dentist will remove the temporary crown and place the permanent crown on the patient’s tooth and will adjust it so that it fits correctly and your bite is proper. After that, the dentist will cement the new crown into place.
- Teeth with crowns may have some movement, which can change the patient’s bite. If this happens, the patient needs to adjust the crown.
The procedures of veneers:
- The dentist will get an impression of your prepared tooth by scanning or using a mold. The image or mold may be sent to a lab.
- Depending on how much your tooth was damaged, you may have a temporary veneer placed on the tooth until the new one is ready.
- When the permanent veneer is ready, the dentist will replace the temporary veneer with the permanent one. It will be bonded to the tooth with a special cement and hardened with a UV lamp.
- There’s minimal movement of the tooth after the veneer is placed. But you may need to put a night guard to protect the veneer.
Veneers vs crowns pros and cons
Both crowns and veneers have advantages and disadvantages and in this part, we will discuss the benefits and risks of dental crowns and veneers.
Veneer pros
- They have a better appearance than crowns because they don’t give a gum margin after many years, as crowns sometimes do.
- Some veneers don’t require much trimming, so it is healthier as most natural teeth remain.
- Teeth with veneers have minimal movement than crowns.
Veneer cons
- Veneers leave more areas of your tooth at risk of a new decay.
- Veneers aren’t reversible.
Crown pros
- The tooth is more protected from decay as all the tooth is covered.
- Generally, crowns are more resemble natural teeth.
Crown cons
- More of the natural tooth is removed to create the crown’s room.
- The crowned tooth is more sensitive to heat and cold.
- The crowned tooth may cause gum pain.
veneers vs crowns price
Usually, the dental veneer process takes more time from the dentist than the dental crown process takes. As far as the cost of these procedures is concerned, veneers are more expensive than crowns.
