When you have a damaged natural tooth, your dentist can recommend one of the many dental restorations available today. Among your options would be dental crowns and veneers. Although they serve the same purpose, crowns and veneers differ in several ways. Crowns restore a severely damaged tooth to make it strong, aesthetically appealing, and functional, while veneers are mainly used for cosmetic purposes. Each option has pros and cons, which you must consider before making an informed decision.

A competent dentist can help determine your suitability for crowns or veneers when you visit their dental office seeking a solution for your damaged teeth. They will also explain the treatment process to help you understand what to expect during dental restoration.

Dental Crowns and Their Benefits

Dentists use dental crowns to restore damage to teeth that is too severe for dental fillings and not severe enough for tooth replacement. If a cavity damages a significant part of your tooth, a dentist can create a crown to restore its shape, size, and functionality. A crown completely covers the top part of a tooth to prevent the tooth from further damage and restore its strength. It is an excellent way to save a natural tooth after damage.

A dental crown is a custom-made cap placed over a damaged tooth or a dental implant. Depending on your dentist, it can be created in a dental lab or made the same day using advanced CEREC technology. It helps when severe damage threatens to destroy your tooth completely. A crown restores a natural tooth's standard size and shape, improving its appearance and functionality. It also enhances the strength and appearance of a damaged tooth. Here are the circumstances under which a dentist can recommend a dental crown:

  • When you have a large cavity or damage to your tooth that cannot be filled with a dental filling

  • If your natural tooth is weakened, cracked, or worn down, but not destroyed

  • If you recently had a root canal therapy, and the dentist wants to save the damaged natural tooth

  • If you want to cover a poorly shaped or discolored tooth to improve its appearance and your smile

Generally, a crown covers the entire tooth, or most of a tooth, especially the upper part. Dentists create crowns in the lab using materials that look and feel like natural teeth. Once a tooth receives a crown, it looks, functions, and feels like a natural tooth. A crown is also strong enough to last years. You can regain the full functionality of your tooth, including biting and chewing, once you recover from treatment.

A dentist will take you through several processes when receiving a dental crown. This can take several visits to a dentist’s clinic. The processes include the following:

Dental Examination

All dental restorations start with thoroughly examining your teeth and gums to determine the cause of your problem and possible solutions. The dentist also checks the health of your gums and jawbone to recommend the most suitable treatment for you. They will review your treatment history and consider your preference and budget when making the final recommendation.

After examining your teeth, your dentist will recommend dental crowns if the damage is more than they can treat with dental fillings. Remember that the goal is to save as much of your natural teeth as possible. If a substantial part of the tooth is still intact, the dentist can create a crown to restore the tooth’s structure and strength.

Tooth Preparation

The dentist must first prepare the tooth to receive a dental crown. Preparation entails removing the damaged part of the tooth to prevent further damage. Preparation also entails shaping the tooth to receive a crown. The dentist will remove the decayed part if the tooth has a cavity. This is essential in stopping the cavity from worsening. It also prevents harmful bacteria from attacking the tooth further and the adjacent teeth.

Preparing a Dental Crown

Once the tooth is prepared to receive the crown, the dentist will make impressions of it to create the crown in the dental lab. They will use the exact tooth model to create a crown that will fit perfectly over the tooth. The dentist can use a mold of the tooth or its digital scan to make a crown to cover the damaged tooth. They will also consider the original shape and size of the tooth to avoid changing its general appearance.

Preparing a dental crown can take several days or weeks. The dentist can place a temporary crown over the prepared tooth to protect it from damage as you wait for a permanent crown.

Crown Placement

Your dentist will call you back to their office to fit and permanently place the crown once it is ready. First, they will fit it over the prepared tooth to see how well, or otherwise, it fits. They can make a few adjustments before cementing it in place. If you are satisfied with how the crown looks and feels in your mouth, the dentist will permanently place a dental cement over the tooth. They can use a curing light to speed up the attachment process.

The Benefits and Disadvantages of a Dental Crown

Dental crowns offer several benefits, which include the following:

  • A dental crown completely covers a damaged tooth, protecting it from further decay or infection while restoring your smile and confidence

  • Dentists can make dental crowns that make restored teeth appear and feel natural. For example, a porcelain crown will function like a natural tooth, making it difficult for anyone to notice the restoration.

  • Dental crowns are permanently placed on a damaged tooth for long-term service. Although they can weaken or become damaged over time, they last for many years, which saves you a great deal of time and money. Additionally, they are permanently fixed to avoid being removed and placed back, which can increase their risk of damage.

  • Although dental crowns are expensive, you can afford them if your insurance covers part of your treatment. This is possible if you prove the treatment has preventive or curative benefits. For example, your insurance can cover your treatment if the crown will prevent your teeth from cavities or bad-bite-related conditions like TMJ disorders.

However, the placement of dental crowns requires prior preparation of a natural tooth, which entails the removal of part of the tooth. This is an intensive procedure that can be painful and uncomfortable, and one that affects the natural structure of your tooth. Although you save a natural tooth by reinforcing it with a crown, much of the tooth is removed for the crown to fit well.

Preparing the tooth before receiving a dental crown can affect its strength and shape, making it more sensitive. Sensitivity is mostly experienced when you eat or drink hot or cold foods and beverages. It can affect how you enjoy your favorite meals. Unfortunately, most crowned teeth are sensitive, which can be an uncomfortable condition to live with for years.

Some dental crowns, like porcelain ones, are not too strong and can easily break if more pressure is applied. If you choose these, you must always be careful when chewing or biting to avoid damaging your crowns.

Dental crowns made from metal alloys can also form a dark line between the tooth and crown, affecting your smile and confidence.

Dental Veneers and Their Benefits

Dental veneers are ultra-thin shells, usually made of porcelain or composite resin, that a dentist bonds to the front surface of teeth to improve appearance and create a flawless smile. Veneers cover minor imperfections on natural teeth, including minor chips, discolorations, and fractures. They can correct minor issues on your teeth that affect their shape and size. Since the veneer is ultra-thin, it does not significantly alter the shape or size of your tooth.

Dentists create veneers from composite or porcelain materials in a dental lab. They cover the front part of a damaged tooth to hide its flaws and enhance your smile and confidence. You can receive a single veneer for an imperfect tooth or several veneers for your front teeth to create an even or perfect smile.

When recommending dental veneers for your minor imperfections, a dentist will explain these two main types:

Traditional Veneers

These require a more intensive tooth preparation before placement. If you opt for this choice, your dentist will grind down the structure of your damaged tooth to remove a part of the tooth that is damaged and then cover the tooth with a veneer to restore its structure, shape, strength, and functionality. The preparation makes it easy for the veneer to attach well to the tooth for long-term service.

However, traditional veneers are irreversible because you need to prepare your tooth before placement. The process can also be painful and uncomfortable.

Non-Prep Dental Veneers

You need minimal preparation on your damaged tooth to receive these veneers. The non-prep veneers only change your enamel's appearance, meaning you can cover a tooth’s imperfection without altering its structure or shape. These are reversible veneers; you can remove them and change to a different treatment. The placement process is also comfortable and pain-free, since it is generally non-invasive.

Receiving a veneer can also take several days, which requires a few visits to the dentist’s office. The exact number of days you need depends on the type of veneers you choose.

After examining your teeth and determining your suitability for veneers, your dentist will prepare your teeth for the restoration. They can clean your teeth professionally to remove buildup and stuck food and debris that could encourage the growth of harmful bacteria. Then, the dentist will take impressions of the teeth that require treatment to create a perfect veneer that will fit over the teeth.

If minimal preparation is done on your teeth, you can wait at home until your veneers are ready for placement. However, if your dentist prepared your teeth before placement, you could require a temporary veneer to protect the prepared tooth. Once the veneer is ready, you will return to the dentist’s office for placement.

During placement, your dentist will test how the veneer fits over the tooth before cementing it. They can make minor alterations for a perfect fit. If satisfied, the dentist will use dental cement and a curing light to fix the veneer on the tooth. Remember that veneers cover one side of the tooth, not the entire tooth. Dentists fit a veneer on the outer part of an imperfect tooth to cover the imperfection and improve your smile and confidence.

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Dental Veneers

Some people opt for dental veneers because of the following reasons:

  • Veneers are more aesthetically pleasing than most dental restorations, including crowns. They are mainly used for cosmetic purposes, to improve the appearance of your natural teeth and boost your smile and confidence. Thus, they can correct your teeth’s imperfections while at the same time improving your aesthetic appeal.

  • Minimal preparations are required for the damaged tooth when receiving a veneer. This saves much of your natural tooth, which is critical. Your dentist must only remove a small part of the damaged tooth to place a veneer properly.

  • A veneer does not alter the shape or size of your teeth. It is an ultra-thin material that only changes the appearance of your tooth. You retain much of your natural tooth, including its size and shape. However, a dentist can create a veneer to improve your tooth’s shape or size if needed.

However, veneers cover only one part of your damaged tooth, exposing the other part to external elements that could cause cavities and harmful conditions like gum disease. It is not unusual to experience new dental problems after receiving a dental veneer.

Also, dental veneers are costly, although they are not as strong and long-lasting as dental restorations like crowns. You pay a lot of money for short-lived treatment. Although composite veneers are strong, they are not strong enough to last a lifetime; you will need a replacement sooner rather than later.

The placement of traditional veneers is permanent and irreversible. You cannot change your mind once it is done because of the preparation done on your tooth.

Since veneers are cosmetic, insurance typically does not cover them. However, partial coverage may be possible in rare cases where veneers provide restorative or preventive benefits. You are forced to pay the full price out of your pocket, which can be very expensive. Although insurance companies do not cover cosmetic dental procedures, they can pay part of your treatment if you convince them that it has preventive or curative benefits.

The Main Differences Between Crowns and Veneers

Although they are both used in dental restoration procedures, dental crowns differ significantly from veneers. Here are some notable differences for your consideration:

  • Dental crowns cover the entire damaged tooth, while veneers only cover one side.

  • Crowns restore the appearance and functionality of a damaged tooth, while veneers mainly change a tooth’s appearance.

  • Dental crowns involve an invasive preparation procedure, where much of the tooth is removed to receive a crown. However, minimal preparation is needed to get a veneer.

  • Dental crowns are stronger and more long-lasting. You can permanently restore a damaged tooth using a crown. Veneers are less durable and only serve you for a few years.

  • Dentists use crowns for worn, broken teeth or after root canal therapy. Veneers are best recommended for chipped or stained teeth.

  • Dental crowns are thicker than veneers. They can alter the size and shape of your tooth. Veneers are ultra-thin materials that mainly change the appearance of your teeth.

  • Taking good care of your dental crowns can make them last very long without requiring a repair or replacement. Veneers are not strong enough to last for a long time. You will need to replace veneers sooner rather than later.

  • The cost of dental crowns and veneers varies significantly, based on several factors. The price mainly depends on the material used to make the restoration, the number of teeth requiring treatment, and your location. Your dentist will discuss the cost during the initial consultation to help you make an informed decision.

Find an Experienced Dentist Near Me

When teeth discolor, stain, break, chip, or become damaged by a cavity, a dentist can restore appearance, strength, shape, and functionality. Dentists offer several dental restoration procedures, like crowns and veneers. Although they are used in different applications, dental crowns and veneers can change the appearance of your damaged tooth to restore its functionality and improve your smile and confidence. However, you should learn more about these procedures, including their differences, advantages, and disadvantages, to make the best choice for your needs.

At Ganji Dental, we have highly skilled and experienced dentists in dental restoration procedures. We can examine your teeth, gums, and jawbone to determine your suitability for crowns or veneers and to discuss your other treatment options. We can also take you through the treatment process so you will know what to expect once treatment starts. Call us at 310-643-8045 if you worry about your teeth's appearance in Hawthorne. We can discuss your needs and our services at length.