A question we’re sometimes asked by patients is whether they should opt for a dental veneer instead of a dental crown or whether the two restorations are even comparable.

The first thing to remember is that your cosmetic dentist will give you their recommendations based on what they believe will give you the best outcomes for the specific issue that needs to be addressed. In some cases, however, you may be given the choice between dental veneers or dental crowns. How do they compare?

Dental veneers

Dental veneers were first created as a more conservative treatment option for people who needed a full crown. With a veneer, we only need to prepare the front of the tooth, whereas we sometimes need to remove more significant portions of tooth to successfully bond dental crowns. Because of this, dental veneers can offer fantastic strength by saving as much of your natural tooth structure as possible. The bonding agents used to connect veneers to teeth are also exceptionally strong.

If you have old fillings in your teeth or your teeth have been worn down by grinding but still have sufficient enamel, then veneers can be a good treatment option for strengthening the tooth and restoring any lost length.

Veneers are also ideal if your teeth are mildly discoloured, slightly out of alignment, spaced apart, mottled, short in length, or have obvious stained enamel cracks or mild-to-moderate pitted, damaged areas on the front surfaces.

When using dental veneers for cosmetic dentistry, we are able to create the ideal length, shape, size and colour to naturally complement your smile. Certainly, dental veneers offer a more discreet cosmetic restoration than dental crowns in most cases, and have become popular because of their near-optimum aesthetic appearance.

Crowns

That being said, crowns may be more suitable than dental veneers if you have significant damage to the back surface of your teeth, if you have minimal enamel, or if you have worn your teeth down excessively due to teeth grinding.

They are used to protect weak teeth, and are especially effective to repair broken teeth, cap dental implants, root canals or the teeth that anchor either end of a dental bridge. Your dentist may recommend a dental crown if you need a filling removed and there isn’t enough natural tooth to replace the filling.

If you have teeth that are more severely mal-positioned, crowns may also give better contact and support than veneers, which are more appropriate for addressing mild to moderate mal-positioning.

When it comes to dental crowns vs. dental veneers, there is no clear winner – only what is right for your individual case. What matters is that both types of restoration can help strengthen and protect your natural teeth, as well as being colour-matched and shaped to suit and restore your smile.

Contact our Lancashire dentists

If you’re considering veneers or crowns in Lancashire, come to the licensed professionals. Here at Viva Dental Practice, we have both in-practice and at-home whitening systems, so that can you can brighten your smile. Please don’t hesitate to get your new smile now by contacting us.