If you’re wondering how to improve the appearance of your smile, there are two options for enhancement: dental veneers and dental crowns. Both cosmetic treatments provide aesthetically pleasing results, but they differ in many ways. Choosing the right option for you depends on your budget, your oral health, and how much time you’re willing to invest in getting the restoration.
Since both are permanent solutions, you must choose carefully as you must maintain either option to ensure its longevity. By taking the time to compare veneers vs crowns, you can make an informed decision about cosmetic dentistry.
The Best Options for Dental Restoration: Veneers vs Crowns
Dental crowns and dental veneers offer dental restoration that can last for over a decade with the proper care and diligent oral hygiene. Though both forms of cosmetic dentistry achieve the desired end result, the process of getting crowns and veneers differs.
Dental Veneers
Veneers are applied to the surface of your teeth using a thin layer of porcelain. Veneers can be used to conceal discolourations deep within the dentin of your teeth and are resistant to teeth whitening. Dental veneers can also improve the appearance of chipped, misshapen, or gapped teeth.
Dental veneers are less invasive than crowns because just a tiny portion of the tooth is removed to place the veneer. Dentists typically only scrape away a thin layer of tooth enamel from the front of a tooth and don’t treat the root or back of the tooth. Dental veneers are an excellent way to enhance multiple unsightly teeth or improve the appearance of a single problematic tooth. Veneers match your natural teeth in colour and shape.
Dental Crowns
Different situations require different types of dental crowns. Dentists use crowns after a tooth sustains extensive damage where treatments, such as fillings, don’t provide enough durability to restore the tooth’s integrity. Crowns are often used as part of a more extensive procedure like dental implant surgery. Dental crowns can hide damaged or discoloured teeth or improve a smile’s appearance. Crowns are twice as thick as traditional dental veneers, making them more durable.
Choose Dental Veneers for Cosmetic Reasons
If you have minimal cosmetic problems with your teeth, dental veneers are an ideal solution. Dental veneers can hide discolouration, cover cracks, frayed edges on teeth, small gaps between teeth, and fix superficial misalignments.
Veneers typically last anywhere from 10 to 20 years if you maintain good oral hygiene. Keep in mind they are irreversible and should not be chosen as temporary cosmetic solutions.
Choose Dental Crowns for Damaged Teeth
A dental crown is preferable to a veneer for teeth with serious damage, such as those that have been severely fractured or decayed and those requiring a root canal. Once the crown is secure, it becomes the external surface of the tooth surrounding the original. This layer of protection prevents any further damage to the natural tooth. Dental crowns are also more suitable than dental veneers when teeth are weakened by grinding. Veneers cover only the front of a tooth, not the sides. Worn down teeth usually need crowns to improve their appearance. If your teeth are damaged, dental crowns can help improve their colour and shape significantly.
Veneers vs Crowns: The Right Treatment for You
Ultimately, the right choice for you is the one that fits the state of your teeth. There is no distinct winner between veneers vs crowns since both have a high chance of success and provide lasting results.
Dental veneers or dental crowns are stain-resistant, but they will become discoloured if not properly brushed and flossed. These types of restorations can’t be whitened or bleached, so you have to practice good oral hygiene and eat right. If you intend to whiten your natural teeth professionally, do so before having a crown or veneer put in so that the artificial restoration’s colour matches your newly whitened teeth.
It is also important not to chew on hard objects while you wear crowns or veneers because this will shorten their longevity and potentially cause irreparable damage.
Take Care of Your Smile With Dental Spot
At Dental Spot, our dentists provide the cosmetic dentistry and dental restoration services needed to create and maintain beautiful smiles. Call us at (02) 9158 6115 to determine whether dental veneers or dental crowns are better for you.
Note: Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.
