Cosmetic Porcelain Dental Veneers and Crowns are used on teeth to:
- restore and protect them
- align and change their shape
- close gaps
- improve texture and colour
A dental veneer is used more commonly when the existing tooth is already strong and intact whereas a crown is used when the tooth is weakened e.g. after a large filling or root canal treatment.
A crown looks just as good as a veneer and is often made from exactly the same material. The best way to describe the difference is a veneer covers only the visible area of the tooth to preserve as much natural tooth as possible whereas a crown wraps around and covers the entire tooth to hold it all together.
Advantages / Disadvantages of Veneers:
- Highly aesthetic
- Conserve teeth structure
- Not as strong as crowns
- Less surface area is bonded so more likely to de-bond
Advantages / Disadvantages of Crowns:
- Highly aesthetic
- Cover and protect the whole tooth
- Stronger than veneers
- Wrapped around the entire tooth so less likely to de-bond
- More natural tooth is removed
Our cosmetic dentists commonly provide a “hybrid” between a crown and veneer also known as a ¾ crown. This combines the advantages of both a crown and veneer.
¾ Crown Advantages:
- Highly aesthetic
- Conserve teeth structure
- Stronger than veneers
- Cover and protect more tooth
- Wrapped around more tooth so less likely to de-bond
Our experienced cosmetic dentists will always discuss and select the best option for your teeth. It is very common to provide a mixture of crowns, veneers and ¾ crowns in any smile makeover.
