If you’re in need of restorative dental work and are faced with the dilemma of choosing between dental veneers vs crowns, which one should you go for? After all, both of these restorations have the ability to change the appearance of your teeth right?
While that is indeed true, they are very different. They have different properties and more often than not, are used in different applications.
Before you consider “which option is right for me”, the first thing we need to answer is – What is the difference between a porcelain veneer and a dental crown? Let’s take a look…
The fundamental difference between crowns and veneers is to do with the amount of tooth that they cover. A dental crown is designed to cover the whole tooth, meaning that it covers the visible tooth part that lies above the gum line.
On the contrary, a veneer is designed to be bonded directly onto the front surface of the tooth – This is the side that you see when you look in the mirror, or that other people see when you smile. As the name suggests, a dental veneer is a thin shell-like laminate that is capable of covering up a wide variety of problems.
While a veneer is made purely from porcelain, a crown can be made from metal, porcelain, or a combination of both; and while both add some degree of protection a dental crown is often twice the thickness of a porcelain veneer, making it stronger and less resistant to cracking.
Veneers vs Crowns – what should you choose and when?
Firstly, dental veneers
Porcelain veneers are a great choice when you are looking to address relatively minor aesthetic issues. As such, they are excellent options for badly stained teeth – particularly ingrained intrinsic staining that can’t be removed with professional teeth whitening, minor cracked and chipped teeth, and small tooth gaps. In each case, a porcelain veneer has the ability to greatly improve the look and feel of a smile to ensure teeth are the right colour and remain regular in shape and size.
An important point to note…
In most circumstances, a small portion of the tooth needs to be shaved to ensure that the veneer sits flush on the tooth’s surface. This means that the process isn’t reversible, and patients will always have to have a replacement dental veneer should their initial restoration crack, break, or come to the end of its shelf life. In this respect, a dental veneer is just as permanent as a crown and therefore shouldn’t be chosen on the basis that they may be temporary, or indeed, that the process is reversible.
Dental crowns
When you have more fundamental tooth problems, a crown is usually the restoration of choice. Examples could be, when the tooth is badly cracked or where root canal therapy has been carried out. In the veneers vs crowns debate, while a dental veneer acts more like a front cover for the tooth, a dental crown adds protection to the whole tooth as it covers the entire front, back, and side surfaces. Without fitting a crown, a badly damaged or weakened tooth might otherwise have to be extracted, so it plays an important role in the preservation of the existing tooth underneath.
Because the damaged tooth will need shaping to accommodate the new prosthetic crown, your dentist will explain that this too is a non-reversible process. As a result, patients will always need a dental crown replacement should they break, damage their existing crown, or when it has come to the end of its shelf life.
What about shelf life – who wins the veneers vs crowns debate?
With proper care and maintenance, both crowns and veneers should be expected to last for about 10 years. So they have equal longevity. Both too are resistant to teeth bleaching so no amount of hydrogen peroxide will return them to their original white colour. For this reason, it’s important in both instances to ensure good oral hygiene and eating habits are followed. If you want to find out more about how you can preserve the whiteness of your crowns and/or porcelain veneers, ask your dentist to explain.
When it comes to veneers vs crowns, it does all depend on your circumstances as to which option is best. If you’re in any doubt, our empathetic team at No Gaps Dental will take the time to explain your options in detail, allowing you to make a fully informed dental decision. To find a No Gaps dentist near you, visit our website and book an appointment online.