Patients are often confused about crowns and veneers to improve their smile. People often wonder which one looks better and what’s better for them. As far as esthetics are concerned both can be made to look highly esthetic. Currently, our office doesn’t believe it’s necessary to use any metal in our crowns. Both veneers and crowns are made entirely of ceramics (aka porcelain).
Veneers covers the front surface of a tooth and is a good option to improve esthetics of stained, discolored, and poorly shaped teeth.
A crown completely surrounds the tooth. The advantage of a crown is that it actually makes a weakened tooth stronger and less likely to fracture. I recommend that all root canal teeth are better off with a crown rather than a veneer since they’re at a higher risk of breaking.
A veneer will mostly cover the front (facial) surface and the edge (incisal) of the tooth leaving the back (lingual) portion of the tooth untouched. This is less invasive than a crown but will not make an already weakened tooth stronger. Hence, veneers are best for teeth that aren’t damaged but mostly need cosmetic improvements.
Before starting treatment the dentist should assess why treatment is needed in the first place. Many people seek veneers because their front teeth have become too short from grinding their teeth at night. These patients will fracture their veneers in short order and be even worse off than before. I recommend patients who wore down their teeth from grinding, first get used to wearing a well fitting custom night guard before investing in cosmetic dental treatment.
