Want to know what makes a veneer different from a crown? How can you tell which one is best for you?
If you want to fix your smile, you may already know that veneers and crowns are two popular options. You can get your confident smile back with either veneers or crowns, but which one is best for you? Both veneers and crowns can help you reach your dental goals, like making your teeth look straighter and whiter or protecting a damaged tooth.
This guide will tell you everything you need to know about crowns and veneers so you can decide which one to talk to your dentist about.
What is a veneer?
Veneers could help you get the smile you’ve always wanted. This kind of tooth improvement is made to fit perfectly on your tooth and give you a beautiful smile. Patients usually want veneers for one or more of the following reasons:
- Close gaps.If you’ve always had a space between your teeth, you might want to find an easy way to close it. Whether you have just one gap or several, veneers can help make your teeth look better.
- Fix small misalignments. Small misalignments happen as we age and our teeth shift. If this problem has been bothering you, it may be time to look into fixing it with veneers.
- Whiten teeth. Who doesn’t want a brilliant, white smile? If traditional methods of whitening your teeth just don’t seem to cut it, or you want all your teeth to be an even shade of white, consider discussing veneers with your dentist.
- Cover up chips. Small chips in teeth can be embarrassing. While no one but you may notice them, they prevent you from having a smile you love.
- Have a straight smile. Veneers might be a good option if you’ve always wanted straight teeth that create a winning smile.
What is a veneer, though? A veneer is a very thin layer of material (almost like a shell) that sticks to your teeth. It will cover the front of your tooth or teeth and protect them even more. It will also make your teeth look like they are straight and give you the smile you’ve always wanted.
Each veneer is made to fit your needs and will be the same color as the rest of your teeth so that it looks natural. This option is minimally invasive and is thought to be a permanent way to fix teeth, whether you want one veneer or a few. One of the most popular choices for patients is to replace the eight front teeth on the upper jaw. This creates a smile that is even and looks great.
Benefits of veneers
If you think veneers might be the right choice for you, there are many good things about them.
How to get a natural smile quickly and easily
With veneers, it’s easy to get the natural, even smile you’ve always wanted. They are cemented to your teeth and custom made so that they not only fit in your mouth perfectly, but they look and act just like real teeth. Your dentist will shape your veneers so that they look like they belong in your mouth. This will give you the confidence to smile again.
The procedure is minimally invasive
If you want to fix your teeth in a way that does as little damage as possible, veneers could be the answer. Your dentist will need to grind down a part of your tooth (we’ll talk more about this process later), and once the surface of your natural tooth is ready, your veneer will be glued on. After making a few small changes to make sure they fit and look the way you want, you’ll be ready to go.
They are permanent and stable
Veneers are a permanent way to fix minor problems with your teeth, like stains, chips, or gaps. This option for fixing a tooth is not only safe and stable, but it is also less likely to get stained than your natural teeth.
Are a good investment
Like many other ways to fix teeth, veneers are an investment in your oral health and your overall health. It’s important to feel good about yourself and love the way your smile looks, and veneers can give you a symmetrical, brilliant smile. Many people think that veneers are a good investment in their health because they can fix problems with their teeth that have been bothering them for years.
Are there any disadvantages to veneers?
Even though veneers have a lot of pros, we thought it might be helpful to tell you about a few cons so you can make a better decision.
- Porcelain veneers are permanent
- You may find that hot and cold foods and drinks hurt your teeth more.
- They are not a good way to fix teeth that are badly decayed.
- They are not always the best choice for teeth that have had fillings in between them in the past.
- Still have the potential to crack or chip.
How do you care for veneers?
Keeping your teeth healthy makes it easy to take care of veneers. Make sure you brush your teeth for two minutes twice a day, and floss at least once a day. Make sure to use a mouthwash after you brush your teeth as well. It is important to get your teeth checked at least twice a year by your dentist.
It’s important to stay away from things like smoking, drinking drinks with a lot of sugar or carbonation, and snacking on carbs and sticky foods.
What is a crown?
A dental crown is one way to fix broken or decayed teeth. Unlike a veneer, a crown is made to cover and cap your whole tooth. You might find it helpful to think of them as a helmet for a tooth that is broken or decaying. When you get crowns, you protect your tooth from further damage and restore its shape so that you don’t lose the ability to bite down. Crowns are also an easy way to make your mouth look like it is balanced again, so you can smile with confidence again.
Because a crown covers your whole tooth, your dentist will need to file or grind down your tooth so that the crown fits tightly over it. If you need a crown because your teeth are decaying, your dentist will remove the decay to protect the tooth and make it fit better.
Many people need crowns to cover the whole tooth, but there are other options, like onlays or 34 crowns, that don’t cover the whole tooth. If your dentist tells you that you need this type of crown, you can expect to keep more of your natural tooth. This type of procedure results in a crown covering part of your tooth.
Benefits of crowns
If you think you might be interested in crowns, it’s important to know that they have a number of benefits.
Can save damaged teeth
Crowns are made to cover the whole tooth. This means that they may be the right choice for you if you have broken or decayed teeth. If your dentist thinks a crown is the best way to fix your broken tooth, they will file and clean the natural tooth to get it ready for the crown. After the crown is in place, you can eat and smile normally again.
The crown strengthens the tooth that was broken before and lets you use your mouth normally again.
Protect a dead or decaying tooth
If you have a tooth that is decaying, your dentist may decide that you need a crown after a root canal. A crown will protect what’s left of the tooth and keep bacteria from getting into the weak tooth. It will also keep the tooth from breaking.
Mostly permanent
When compared to fillings or onlays, crowns are also more likely to last a long time than fillings or onlays. Even though some crown materials may last longer than others, this type of tooth repair is thought to be stable and safe, and it will give you back your confidence and smile.
Are there any disadvantages to crowns?
Even if you think crowns might be the right choice for you, it’s still good to know what they can’t do.
- You may have to have more of your natural tooth taken out.
- Your teeth may become more sensitive to hot or cold food and drinks.
- Chips may mean you need more repairs, depending on the material.
- A dark line may appear at the gumline of porcelain that has been fused to metal over time.
How do you care for crowns?
If you brush your teeth twice a day, floss once a day, and go to the dentist for checkups, you should be fine with a crown. But if you have porcelain crowns, you should be careful with hard foods so you don’t break them.
Care for a crown is almost the same as care for a veneer. They will never be as strong as your natural teeth were, so you need to be extra careful to eat soft foods and not use your teeth as tools.
How do you know if a veneer or a crown is best for you?
To figure out which one is best for you, you’ll need to talk to a dentist. With veneers, less of your natural tooth needs to be ground down. If you want your teeth to look better, this could be the best choice.
But if you need to protect and fix broken or decayed teeth, you might choose a crown because it can cover the whole tooth.
If you want to discuss these tooth restoration methods in more detail, contact the team at West Cobb Dentistry.
source https://westcobbdentistry.com/crowns-vs-veneers-which-is-best-for-you/
