Full Coverage Crowns vs. Veneers
While full coverage crowns and veneers can both enhance the appearance of the teeth, the treatments are different, and each has its own benefits and drawbacks. The key difference between the two types of dental restorations is that veneers are affixed only to the front of a tooth, while crowns cover an entire tooth above the gum line. Both treatments have excellent success rates, but they’re used for different reasons and serve different purposes. Your dentist will review which is best for your needs, and researching your options will help you make the most informed choice.
What Is a Veneer?
A dental veneer is an extremely thin layer of material, usually porcelain, that is bonded to the front of a natural tooth. Veneers are about 1 millimeter thick. To prepare a tooth for a veneer, the dentist grinds down about half a millimeter of enamel from the front of the tooth. This newly roughened surface provides a better grip for the veneer, and it helps keep the alignment of the veneer and the gum line natural-looking. Usually, the tooth is prepared using a local anesthetic, to prevent pain during the procedure. Once the tooth is prepared, an impression is made, and the veneer is crafted based on this mold; a temporary veneer protects the tooth while the permanent veneer is being crafted. Once it is prepared, the permanent veneer is bonded to the tooth with dental cement and cured with ultraviolet light, creating a long-lasting bond. While veneers can provide cosmetically superlative results, they don’t protect the teeth the same way that crowns do, and they may need to be replaced more often. They are also irreversible and may not be covered by dental insurance.
How Are Veneers Different From Crowns?
The key difference between veneers and crowns is that veneers don’t do much to help support a weakened or damaged tooth. In fact, if the damage to a tooth is significant, a veneer might not even be an option, since veneers rely on the surface of the tooth itself for support. Because dental crowns cap the entire tooth, they maintain their own structure while helping to support the structure of the tooth they contain. Veneers can be used to mask tiny cracks in the teeth, though these cracks don’t often threaten the integrity of the tooth and are masked more for cosmetic reasons. While crowns can be used for cosmetic reasons, they are more frequently used to protect and restore teeth that are compromised by root canal therapy, extensive decay, or other external damage. Crowns are slightly thicker than veneers and can be made from porcelain, as veneers are, or from porcelain fused to metal or an all-metal material. These characteristics help make crowns more durable than veneers, which makes sense if you consider their different functions. While a veneer may be perfectly suitable for teeth that are discolored, mildly cracked, or slightly crooked, dentists are likely to choose full coverage crowns for teeth with more significant damage. The cost of veneers and full coverage crowns tends to be similar, though cosmetic treatments like veneers aren’t often covered by dental insurance. If you’re considering restoring your teeth with crowns or veneers, talk to your dentist about budgeting options and payment plans, and learn more about which option may be best for your clinical and aesthetic needs.