Maintaining a healthy and bright smile plays a vital role in self-esteem, confidence, and overall health. Crowns and veneers are popular restorative and cosmetic dental procedures for people looking to improve their dental health and appearance. If you are comparing crowns and veneers, you probably want to know which of these cosmetic dental procedures is best for your dental health and esthetics.
While both can give you a smile makeover, they serve different purposes depending on your specific tooth condition. Understanding the differences between these two procedures helps you choose the best option that will appear attractive, feel comfortable, and last longer, giving you value for your money.
While it can be challenging to choose between dental crowns and veneers, you do not have to do it alone. A reliable dentist can assess your dental health and determine the ideal procedure for your specific problem. Here is a look at how dental crowns and veneers differ:
Dental Crowns
A dental crown or cap is a full coverage restoration that covers your entire affected tooth. Common materials used to make a dental crown include:
- Metal — Metal-made dental crowns are the strongest and will last longer than any other type of dental crown. Depending on your preferences, your dentist can use gold, chromium, nickel, or palladium to make your dental crown
- Resin — Resin-made crowns are the cheapest option, but they will wear down faster than dental crown options
- Porcelain-fused to a metal — Although metal is the main material used, adding a porcelain overlay can give your tooth a more natural-looking appearance
- Porcelain or ceramic — These dental crowns are ideal if you are looking for a natural-looking smile appearance after restoration of your tooth. However, these dental restorations could wear down the teeth that surround them
- Pressed ceramic — Like metal crowns with a porcelain overlay, pressed ceramic crowns have a ceramic core. Once installed, these crowns can last longer than porcelain-made crowns
Your dentist is more likely to recommend wearing a dental crown if you have a severely damaged, cracked, or decayed tooth. Your dentist is also more likely to recommend a dental crown after root canal therapy. When decayed teeth are left untreated, the infection can progress and compromise your pulp chamber, necessitating root canal therapy.
Even though your dentist will fill the canal of the affected tooth with a tooth-colored composite resin, the structure and integrity of the tooth cannot be the same. In that situation, a dental crown could help restore the integrity and strength of their weakened tooth while improving its aesthetic appearance.
You would also be an excellent candidate for dental crowns if you clench your jaw or grind your teeth. While a dental veneer can handle chewing and biting forces, dental crowns are stronger and designed to handle the day-to-day rigors of biting and chewing. That means if the affected tooth is a molar, your dentist is more likely to recommend a dental crown over a veneer.
Once it is installed, a dental crown can serve you for several years, making it ideal for anyone looking for a long-term solution for their dental problem. Generally speaking, it will take a couple of weeks and dental visits for the dentist to fabricate your custom-made crown and place it on your affected tooth. Here is an overview of how that process looks:
- Trimming of Your Affected Tooth
As mentioned in the previous sentence, a dental crown will cover your entire tooth and replace your remaining enamel. Since a dental crown needs to fit your tooth tightly to help prevent plaque from reaching the weakened tooth, some trimming may be necessary to shape and prepare it for the restoration.
To minimize discomfort during the trimming process, the dentist will numb the area with local anesthesia.
- Impression Taking and Creation
Once the affected tooth is shaped and prepped, your dentist will take an impression of the affected tooth and of your mouth, using putty-filled trays to help him/her or his/her lab technician fabricate your custom dental crown. A clear picture of the affected tooth and its roots is vital in fabricating your dental crown.
- Fabrication of Your Temporary Crown
While it will take just a week or two to create your tailor-made dental crown, covering the prepped tooth using a dental crown is important. The temporary dental crown helps prevent the prepped teeth from hurting if they are still alive, and prevents the adjacent teeth from shifting out of position and the gums from covering the prepped area.
- Placement of Your Dental Crown
Once the final dental crown is ready, the dentist will require you to schedule a placement appointment to allow him/her to fit it on your tooth. Before placing the final crown on the tooth, the dentist will clean and position it for a perfect fit. If there is too much space between your dental crown and the adjacent teeth, food particles can be trapped, creating an excellent environment for bacteria to thrive.
Also, if the space is too small, keeping that area clean can be challenging, increasing your chances of developing cavities. Therefore, your crown adjustment is necessary to ensure it fits perfectly on your tooth before it is permanently cemented and hardened.
If everything looks perfect, your dentist will give you instructions to accelerate the healing process and care for your dental crown. The dentist will also give you a timeline for follow-up appointments. Fortunately, caring for a dental crown is easy, and you can handle it like natural teeth. That means you can brush and floss between them, as you do with your natural teeth.
However, you should limit your intake of certain hard foods, including nuts and candies, as they can chip or break your dental crown, necessitating a replacement.
Dental Veneers
Dental veneers are another often sought-after cosmetic and restorative procedure. A dental veneer is a tailor-made thin shell that your dentist uses to cover the front surface of your teeth to mask or cover minor imperfections like a chipped tooth.
While it can help restore a slightly chipped tooth, many people consider dental veneers a cosmetic-focused procedure. However, you are not eligible for the procedure if the affected tooth is severely damaged or decayed. Dental veneers are ideal if the integrity or structure of your affected tooth is uncompromised.
In other words, you only make an excellent candidate for this procedure if your tooth enamel is intact. Severe tooth damage will necessitate more comprehensive procedures like a dental crown placement. If you want a slight improvement or change in your tooth shape or color, dental veneers could help.
Also, dental veneers are ideal for the teeth that people can see easily when you smile, especially the incisors, premolars, and cuspids. To place a dental veneer, the tissues around the affected tooth must be healthy. Your dentist is more likely to recommend dental veneers if you want to:
- Close gaps between your teeth
- Improve the aesthetics of a discolored or stained tooth
- Change the length or shape of a tooth
- Want to protect your tooth from further damage or decay
Depending on your budget and preferences, your dentist could recommend either of the following two types of dental veneers:
- Composite Veneers
As the name suggests, composite veneers are made of resin. Composite veneers are ideal if you are looking for a pocket-friendly way to improve the aesthetics of your smile without breaking the bank. However, composite veneers are not as stain-resistant and durable as porcelain veneers.
Composite veneers can last about three to five years, while porcelain veneers can last ten to fifteen years, depending on how you care for them.
- Porcelain Veneers
Porcelain veneers are long-lasting and more durable than composite veneers. Unlike composite veneers, which the dentist can place on you with one dental appointment, porcelain veneers could require longer to complete and could require two dental appointments.
During the first appointment, your dentist will prepare the affected tooth. At the second visit to your dentist’s clinic, he/she will bond the veneer to your tooth. Your dentist can help you decide whether to choose composite or porcelain veneers.
Here is what to anticipate during the veneer placement process:
- Trimming of the Affected Tooth
Your dentist will trim the affected tooth to a depth that matches the thickness of your veneer for a seamless, perfect fit. Doing so is important to ensure your overall tooth thickness remains unchanged after the procedure. Trimming your teeth also helps to create an even surface on which your veneer can bond, giving you the attractive smile you deserve.
- Color-matching of the Veneer and the Adjacent Teeth
The veneer your dentist will use to restore your smile’s aesthetics must closely resemble the color of the adjacent or surrounding teeth. If you need to improve the aesthetics of multiple teeth, the dentist will change their shade to blend with the surrounding teeth. Many times, a dentist could recommend bleaching the surrounding teeth before choosing a veneer color.
When deciding on the best veneer for you, the dentist will refer to a shade guide. The dentist will also factor in the translucency of your dental veneer because it can impact the outcome of the treatment.
- Taking Your Tooth Impression
To properly and perfectly fabricate your custom veneer, your dentist will require an impression of the affected tooth. Your dentist can do that by loading the dental tray with putty and placing it over your teeth. The dentist will leave it to stay there for a couple of minutes to allow the moldable putty to mold around the affected tooth for a perfect impression.
- Evaluation of the Veneers’ Fit and Shape
Once your dentist receives your custom veneers from his/her lab technician, he/she will temporarily place them on your affected tooth to verify their shape and whether they fit perfectly as expected. Although your dentist’s lab technician can fabricate a perfect veneer for your tooth, minor adjustments after placement are important for the perfect and appealing smile that you deserve.
- Bonding of the Veneer to the Tooth
When the dentist confirms that the veneer is ready for placement, he or she will etch the tooth with a mildly acidic gel. The dentist will allow the acidic gel to remain for 20 seconds before washing it away. Etching the affected tooth helps roughen its surface for easy bonding.
After this step, the dentist will apply the dental cement and bonding agent over the veneer and the tooth. After that, he/she will eliminate any extra cement or bonding agent to give you a smile makeover you can be proud of.
Similar to a dental crown, you will need to make follow-up appointments with your dentist, usually one week later. The dentist will examine your gums for inflammation and make sure your recently placed veneers are firmly in place on your teeth during this follow-up visit. If you grind your teeth, the dentist will recommend wearing a mouth guard at night to help protect your veneers.
While dental veneers are generally strong, teeth-grinding forces could fracture them and reduce their durability. For that reason, it is also advisable to avoid biting and chewing hard foods, including candy and nuts, after undergoing this procedure. To care for your dental veneers, you need to brush and floss daily and schedule regular appointments with your dentist.
In addition to performing routine cleaning to remove tartar and stains you cannot remove using a toothbrush at home, routine dental appointments give your dentist a chance to check the condition of any dental restoration. If your veneer is stained or loose, the dentist will recommend an appropriate procedure to fix it and keep your smile bright.
Find a Credible Dentist Near Me
Dental crowns and veneers play different roles in modern dentistry. While they both improve the aesthetic appearance of your tooth, dental crowns are ideal if you have a severely damaged or weakened tooth. Consulting a dentist is also a wise step for professional assistance in choosing the proper treatment for your dental condition.
At SoCal Dental of Valencia, we are ready to listen to your concerns and examine your dental condition to determine the ideal treatment for you. We invite you to call our seasoned dentists at 661-554-4545 to schedule your first obligation-free consultation.
