Crown vs. Veneer: Which One Should I Select?

Although crowns and veneers look the same in their physical appearance, they perform two different functions. Both treatments can be color matched to achieve a natural-looking smile. But veneers are for aesthetics and dental caps are more for structure. If you have a damaged tooth, you might be wondering which one is a durable solution.

What Are Dental Crowns?

Crowns improve the appearance and functioning of decayed, cracked, or damaged teeth. They are ideal to cover the whole tooth surface. The dental professional can customize the color of ceramics or porcelain to blend with your overall smile.

Advantages of Crowns

• Your dental insurance provider might cover 50% price of the crowns.
• They offer full coverage protection for decayed or injured teeth.
• They offer a 100% natural look.
• Dental crowns are much more long-lasting than veneers.
• They are the best option for aesthetics and serious dental health issues like tooth breakage and cracks.

Disadvantages of Crowns

• They do require replacement with time.
• They can be costly without insurance.
• Dental caps are more invasive because it requires more tooth structure removal than a veneer.
• It can create a dark line at the gum lining.
• Teeth might experience damage due to extensive filing.

What Are Dental Veneers?

Dental veneers are thin layers of porcelain attached to the edges and front tooth surface. They are an effective solution for misalignment, tiny gaps between teeth, broken teeth, discoloration, or irregular chipping.

Advantages of Veneers

• Compared to dental crowns, the procedure requires only less enamel removal. It makes the veneers less invasive. Also, it saves most of your healthy natural tooth structure.
• Due to the filing of enamel, it can result in slight tooth damage to healthy teeth.
• They are ideal for addressing minor cosmetic issues like uneven tooth size, strange tooth shape, etc.
• Today, numerous choices are available now to customize veneer shapes and shades.
• You can enhance your teeth’ positioning speedily without getting braces.

Disadvantages of Veneers

• Dental insurance plans do not cover the treatment.
• Composite resin veneers are much cheaper.
• The treatment is irreversible.
• They are not as durable as dental caps.
• A veneer is not perfect when repairing severe tooth damage or other complex dental problems.

How Do They Compare?

Below is a comparison between these two treatments.

Purpose

Dental crowns in Farmington, NY is the best choice if you have:

• A root canal.
• A large filling.
• Cracked or severely worn down tooth.

On the other hand, a veneer is the best choice if:

• You have minor shape corrections.
• If your tooth is intact.

Cost

The cost of veneers can range from $1500-$5000 per tooth. It typically depends on factors like:

• The cost of a dental lab.
• The location of dental practice.

For crowns, you can expect to pay between $1000 to $4000 per tooth. The exact price can differ depending on:

• Your tooth location.
• The location of your practice.

Procedure

Both these treatments include numerous steps.

Below are the steps for the crown procedure.

• Firstly, the patient undergoes the necessary dental treatment to repair a tooth. It includes a root canal or filling.
• Now, the dentist at Mark DiMartino DDS prepares the tooth by trimming the sides of the tooth.
• Then, he/she takes digital impressions of the tooth to fabricate a permanent crown. Till it’s ready, the professional will give you a temporary dental cap.
• When it returns, the dentist will check its fit and add the crown into its proper place.

Below are the steps for the veneer procedure:

• Firstly, the dentist uses local anesthesia to trim nearly half mm of enamel.
• Then, he/she takes the impressions of the prepared teeth. Now, the professional will place the temporary veneer on the teeth till the laboratory makes the real veneers.
• After the veneer gets ready, the dentist will check its appearance and fit.
• Once the patient is satisfied, he/she bonds the veneer to the teeth.

Crowns v/s Veneers: Which is Best?

Both crowns and dental veneers in Farmington, NY are dental restorative treatments to improve the functioning and look of teeth. Once the dentist applies a crown and veneer, it is hard for others to notice the difference. The major difference between crown and veneer is that the veneer treatment is conservative. It needs much less drilling and shaping of the teeth.

The treatment best for you usually relies on the condition of your teeth and the issue you are dealing with.