Porcelain Veneers and Dental Crowns are two of the most popular cosmetic dental treatments out there. They are both gaining traction as dental treatments that offer patients a beautiful smile. However, because they take different paths to achieving the aesthetic results, and serve unique purposes, it pays to understand the differences in order to make an informed decision about the treatment that is more suitable for you.
Let’s start by identifying each treatment by their respective purposes:
Porcelain veneers are thin shells of porcelain laminates that are placed over teeth to correct their appearance. Although, to a smaller extent, they also help to protect the underlying teeth from damage, the main purpose of porcelain veneers is to cover or conceal your dental flaws and imperfections. Dental veneers are used primarily as a cosmetic treatment.
A dental crown is a tooth-shaped cap that is placed over an existing tooth to reinforce its structural strength and change its appearance. It is typically recommended in cases where the tooth is badly damaged by injury or disease. After removing the diseased portion, the dentist uses the crown to restore the original size and shape of the tooth. Cemented into position, the crown covers the entire tooth – or rather, all the parts of the tooth that is visible above the gum line.
What are they commonly used for?
More specifically, dental crowns are used in the following situations:
- Enhance cosmetic beauty of teeth
- Restore broken or fractured teeth
- Repair decayed teeth
- Repairing fractured fillings
- Replace large and defective fillings
Porcelain veneers are commonly prescribed for the following cases:
- Conceal teeth stains that cannot be removed by teeth whitening or teeth cleaning methods
- Correct the appearance of misshapen or misaligned teeth
- Conceal unevenly spaced or gappy teeth
- Correct overexposed gums (i.e. gummy smiles)
- Lengthen teeth to match smile and facial aesthetics
Which option should you choose?
Although they are both listed as cosmetic dental treatments, the type you choose depends on the dental condition you have and your goals for treatment. As above, dental crowns are prescribed for restoring damaged teeth while veneers help to mask dental imperfections.
If the goal for your treatment is purely cosmetic, veneers may be the more viable option. For example if you have strong and healthy underlying teeth but are not completely happy with the way they look – due to their shape, colour or size – porcelain veneers offer a fast and straightforward method to correct the appearance of your smile.
On the other hand, if your teeth are damaged (i.e. tooth decay, accidental injury, etc.) to the extent that requires structural repair, then the dental crown presents a better solution. If you have severe dental issues – such as chronically broken or decayed teeth – a dental crown can restore your tooth’s original strength to allow for regular biting or chewing functions.
As you can tell, the dental crown and porcelain veneer serve very different functions, even though ultimately, they both help to deliver new restorations in a way that others will not be able to tell apart from your natural teeth.
To find out what Dental Crowns and Porcelain Veneers can do for your smile, speak to a dentist at Melbourne Dentist Clinic. Give us a call at (03) 9999 9703 or visit our website for more information.
