Your smile is a huge part of who you are. A white, straight smile can help build self-esteem and help you project your self-confidence to everyone around you. A crooked and dull smile can be repaired with the help of an experienced dentist. Technology is constantly progressing forward in the dental profession, and crowns and veneers are becoming very popular and reliable when it comes to improving the look and strength of your smile.
Crowns and veneers have some things in common, even though they are very different. Both are custom molds that are specifically designed to give you the strongest and healthiest looking smile possible. As many people do, you are probably wondering what the difference is between the two. The following will help you understand the difference.
Crowns
A crown is a dental restoration tool that totally encases the tooth or dental implant. Crowns, unlike veneers, can be made from many different types of materials, depending on the use of the tooth and its position in your smile. The types of materials used in a permanent crown can include:
- Stainless steel- children’s teeth or a temporary crown
- Porcelain fused to metal- a metal interior with a porcelain exterior that provides strength and aesthetics, usually used for molars and teeth that are under the pressure of grinding
- All ceramic or all porcelain- an excellent choice for front teeth where strength isn’t as important, but the look is essential
Crowns protect a week tooth from decaying and breaking, cover and support the tooth that has a filling, supports dental bridges, covers malformed or discolored teeth, covers an implant, or just for cosmetic reasons.
A crown will support the entire tooth from front to back. As much as two millimeters around the tooth is delicately removed to make room for the crown and proper placement. This will allow for proper structure and excellent support for the activities that the tooth must endure.
Veneers
By contrast, a veneer is a dental restoration tool that only covers the front of the tooth. A veneer only requires that the thickness of the tooth be reduced by one millimeter or less. Because of this, a veneer must be used for different situations than a crown would be used for. A patient who has strong and healthy teeth can choose to get veneers for cosmetic reasons only. Unlike a crown, a veneer can be very brittle, and should only be used for teeth that do less grinding and chewing, like the front teeth, which are more important for looks than anything else.
How Can Crowns or Veneers Effectively Change My Smile?
Crowns and veneers are used to change smiles for many different reasons. An experienced dentist can make sure that a crown or veneer looks natural through a few different steps:
- Matching the anatomy of the natural tooth
- Matching color and texture of the natural tooth
- Recreating the edges of the natural tooth
If you have concerns about making your smile strong, healthy, straight, and beautiful, we here at Simply Smiles Dentistry can answer all of your questions. Our experienced staff can educate you and recommend healthy choices for your teeth.
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Until next time…Keep on Smiling!