If you need a smile makeover, your dentist will either recommend a dental crown or porcelain veneers. While these options both enhance your smile and improve your dental health, they’re completely different.
Both crowns and veneers cover your natural tooth. This is done for cosmetic and restorative reasons. But different situations call for either a dental crown or veneers.
Before you visit your dentist, knowing the differences between a crown and a veneer will help you understand what’s wrong with your dental health and why these treatment options will improve your teeth.
Continue reading to understand everything about veneers vs crowns.
Their Purpose
The biggest difference between dental crowns and veneers lies within their purpose. Here are common reasons why your dentist will recommend either procedure.
Veneers
Veneers are recommended when your teeth need cosmetic restoration.
Examples include improved tooth shape or color fixes. Veneers are brittle so they’re not used for serious restoration.
But veneers are also long-lasting and easy to maintain. Maintenance includes daily brushing and flossing.
Dental Crowns
Dental crowns improve many areas of the tooth.
Like veneers, dental crowns improve the shape and color of your natural tooth. But the strength of dental crowns helps fix severe tooth ailments. These ailments include a broken or decayed tooth.
Material Differences
The different purposes contribute to the difference in material. As mentioned previously, veneers are brittle. They’re approximately one millimeter thick. They can easily fit on a tooth without much trimming done on the tooth.
Dental crowns are stronger. The material is about two millimeters thick. This is why more natural tooth enamel needs to be trimmed down. Crowns are thicker because they’re used to restore teeth to a healthier state.
The Similarities
Veneers and crowns have many differences, but they’re not completely different.
The first similarity is the result. When you or someone else looks at your newly restored tooth, there’s barely any difference between a crown and a veneer. Well, as long as the crown is a porcelain crown.
Crowns are thicker than veneers, but your tooth is trimmed down when you get a crown. So the end result looks almost identical to a veneer.
The cosmetic implications are also similar. Crowns serve a more restorative purpose than veneers. But both improve the appearance of your tooth.
The longevity and durability is another similarity. Both options are permanent. Don’t be surprised if you need additional restorations for both. That’s why it’s vital you follow your dentist’s recommendations and instructions.
Know All About Veneers vs Crowns
Do you have a misshapen, crooked, injured, or discolored tooth? Your dentist may recommend either a veneer or a crown. Before going into the procedure, you should know all about veneers vs crowns.
Both are similar but there are different reasons why you’ll need one over the other. Dental crowns fully restore your tooth back to help while veneers improve the cosmetic results.
Are you near our Covina dental office and are in need of some serious dental work? Take a look at our dental services and request a free dental consultation appointment.