veneers
Teeth are extremely durable, but they’re hardly immune from damage, and often, we behave in ways that are harmful to our teeth without even knowing it. The foods and beverages you consume, for example, could help or harm your teeth. While calcium-rich foods like dairy products work to strengthen teeth, ingredients like sugar and acid in soda can weaken enamel, feed bacteria, and lead to tooth decay.
Although our teeth can be damaged by cracks, chips, staining, and decay, there are a variety of dental solutions designed to meet both your functional and cosmetic needs, protecting your teeth from further harm and restoring your smile simultaneously. In some cases, these treatment options can also correct issues like crowding, gaps, and uneven edges, as well.
The question is: are veneers or crowns a better option when facing these smile snafus? Which solution is right for you? Here are a few things you’ll want to consider.
Coverage
Both veneers and crowns are potential solutions to dental issues like damage or cosmetic concerns, but there are a couple of key differences that will help to determine which one is the better option on a case-by-case basis. One of those differences is the amount of coverage each option provides.
Crowns offer significantly more coverage than veneers. One of the major selling points of veneers is how thin they are, generally less than a millimeter in thickness. This allows patients to retain the vast majority of any tooth being covered, although the enamel will have to be etched to allow for the best adhesion, or bonding of the veneer material to the tooth. In addition, veneers are only applied to the outward facing surface of the tooth, or the portion that is visible when smiling.
Crowns, on the other hand, are much thicker (often 2 millimeters or more) and they cover both the front and back surface of the tooth, providing for greater strength and coverage. This may require a significant portion of the tooth to be tapered down so that the crown doesn’t add so much bulk that the final product is too large to fit with other teeth.
In order to preserve a natural appearance and a normal bite pattern, much of the natural tooth will have to be removed to make space for the crown to fit. However, because the material of the crown is so thick, it acts as the new outer layer of the tooth, ensuring that whatever remains of the natural tooth is protected, and that the patient can chew normally and smile with confidence.
With proper care, veneers should last 10 years or more. Crowns, on the other hand, could last anywhere from about 5-15 years, and often even longer. In some cases,
dental insurance will cover crown replacement after the minimum estimated life of the product has elapsed (say, five years). If veneers are considered a cosmetic procedure rather than a dental necessity, they may not be covered by insurance, but it could depend on the policy and the patient’s situation.
Severity of Damage or Cosmetic Concern
Another factor that determines whether a crown or veneers are right for you is the severity of the situation. More severe cases will often require a crown. In terms of damage, this could depend upon the amount of enamel remaining.
Adequate enamel is essential to creating the etched surface needed for proper adhesion of veneers. If enamel is too worn, you may have to accept that a crown is the better option. Also, if a significant portion of the tooth is missing, wafer-thin veneers simply won’t provide the strength needed for practical concerns like chewing food.
Severity of cosmetic issues can also dictate whether veneers or crowns are more appropriate. For minor misalignment, uneven edges, or staining, for example, veneers are likely a better choice because they allow for more of the natural tooth to be preserved. Teeth that are relatively healthy and undamaged are the best candidates for veneers.
However, if teeth are severely rotated, overlapped, or separated by gaps, veneers are unlikely to do the trick. The amount of natural tooth that can be removed, paired with the thicker, more robust surface offered by crowns makes this option the obvious choice if the patient isn’t keen to wear braces for the next couple of years to correct the problem.