You can choose between dental crowns and veneers when searching for a way to rectify teeth imperfections and enhance your smile. Both options are common and can assist you in achieving remarkable results. However, the two have critical differences; thus, you want to select the appropriate option for your dental problem. This blog discusses why you may want to choose veneers over dental crowns.

What Are Dental Veneers?

If you are searching for a means to improve your smile's appearance, veneers may be just what you have been looking for. Veneers are a popular cosmetic dental procedure, offering several benefits and a natural smile transformation.

These are thin composite- or porcelain-made shells customized to fit onto the front tooth surface. They are meant to address several cosmetic problems, like stained or broken teeth, gapped teeth, or minor teeth imperfections. They are a flexible option for patients who wish to acquire a naturally-looking, beautiful smile.

Among the most significant benefits of veneers is their capability to realize a noticeable transformation in only one dental visit. Unlike other cosmetic dental procedures that might necessitate multiple dental appointments, the procedure for placing veneers can usually be done and completed in one appointment. That makes it ideal for patients seeking instant results and a convenient treatment experience.

Dental veneer placement is a fairly simple process. The dental professional prepares a patient's teeth by scraping off a small amount of the tooth enamel from the front tooth surface. This creates room so the dental veneer can stick to and bond with the natural teeth. Then, the dentist carefully places the customized veneers onto the teeth and secures them with dental cement or adhesive.

Whether you choose composite or porcelain veneers, each offers remarkable aesthetic results. Porcelain veneers are highly stain-resistant and durable, providing a long-term option for a perfect smile. Contrarily, composite veneers provide a more budget-friendly alternative and could be cemented directly on your teeth in one visit.

Whether you wish to address stained teeth, broken teeth, or small minor imperfections, dental veneers offer a flexible answer for improving the appearance of the front surface of your teeth. With their capability to deliver a seamless fit and instant results, veneers are a perfect choice for patients who wish to achieve a flawless and confident smile.

What Are Dental Crowns?

Crowns play an essential role in dentistry as far as dental restorations are concerned. They are versatile restorations that can correct many tooth problems and restore a patient's teeth's function and appearance.

To understand crowns, let us begin with the basics. Imagine a dental crown as a protective cap over a damaged or weakened tooth. The cap conceals the whole visible tooth part extending from the gum line. Crowns are usually ceramic-made, a material that closely resembles the tooth’s natural appearance. This feature makes crowns a good choice for improving the smile’s appearance.

Dental crown treatment can address various dental problems. For example, a crown can provide tooth protection and strength for patients with extensive tooth cavities or a tooth with a large filling. Crowns cover discolored or misshapen teeth, restore weakened teeth, and even correct crooked teeth.

The procedure for placing dental crowns entails multiple appointments. In the first appointment, the dental professional will review the patient's oral health and discuss their preferred treatment plan. The dentist might do root canal therapy to correct any underlying problems before placing crowns. Sometimes, the dentist might place a temporary dental crown while a new one is molded in the lab. When the new crown is ready, the dental professional will find a correct fit and bind it onto the patient's tooth.

Crowns have several benefits, one of which is their durability. They are made from strong and durable materials like metal or ceramic, which means they can sustain the pressure of everyday use, enabling patients to enjoy their restored smile for many years. Maintaining proper dental hygiene and routine dental appointments is crucial to the durability of dental crowns and a patient's overall health.

Crowns are a popular option for restorative dental treatment. Whether you have compromised or weakened teeth, smile imperfections, or tooth damage, crowns can assist in restoring your dental health and enhancing your teeth's appearance. Given their natural aesthetic and capability to address a wide range of dental problems, crowns can help you achieve a healthy smile and the confidence to show it off.

It is worth mentioning that both veneers and crowns may need replacement with time because of possible damage and the usual wear and tear. Regular dental checkups are critical to monitor the condition of the dental restorations and establish whether replacement or maintenance is necessary.

Dental veneers require routine dental hygiene practices to maintain their durability and appearance. Flossing, brushing, and regular dental visits are crucial for conserving the natural teeth's health and veneer’s longevity. Veneers have an approximate lifespan of about fifteen ten to fifteen years. However, it is essential to note the lifespan may vary based on various factors like personal habits (for example, chewing on hard items or teeth grinding), oral hygiene practices, and veneer material.

Dental crowns also require routine dental hygiene, flossing, brushing, and regular visits to the dentist. Maintaining good oral hygiene is critical to preventing caries around the dental crown and ensuring durability. On average, crowns can last ten to fifteen years, but with proper maintenance and care, they can last even longer, going up to thirty years.

Why You May Need to Choose Veneers Over Crowns

Both veneers and crowns serve cosmetic and restorative purposes. They work by covering existing teeth to improve their function and appearance. However, you cannot undergo treatment with both of them and thus, you want to weigh which is ideal for you. The following are reasons why you may want to opt for dental veneers instead of dental crowns:

The Results of Veneer Treatment Are Instant

Among the most convincing benefits of choosing dental veneers over dental crowns is their ability to produce immediate, noticeable results, enabling patients to transform their smiles quickly.

Whether you opt for porcelain veneers, whose placement may need a longer fabrication period, or composite veneers, whose placement can be done in one dental visit, both options generate immediate and noticeable improvements to the smile.

Regarding composite dental veneers, the whole placement procedure can usually be done in one dental visit, providing a prompt outcome and a substantially enhanced smile a patient can immediately enjoy and appreciate. Composite veneer placement rids of the necessity for extended waiting periods, enabling a patient to see their transformative effects without delay.

Even though porcelain veneers might entail short waiting periods to fabricate the dental restoration, advanced dental offices equipped with in-house technology can speed up the process, allowing patients to have customized dental restorations within a short period.

Dental Veneers Will Not Shift or Will Shift Minimally After Placement

A worthwhile benefit of opting for veneers over dental crowns is the little or no movement experienced after veneer placement. After the dentist properly fits the dental restorations over the teeth surfaces, they register minimal to zero movement, achieving a secure and stable fit that prevents possible problems like gum recession or bite-related issues.

This feature makes dental veneers a good option for patients seeking a long-term and reliable solution to improve their smiles and beauty without compromising comfort or functionality.

Since veneers are generally stable restorations, they provide a reliable, long-lasting solution that enhances a natural, comfortable bite. The stability ensures the dental restorations bond with natural teeth effortlessly, providing a functional and consistent dental structure aligning with the patient's oral health.

Some types of dental crowns might start shifting over time, likely resulting in various problems related to gums or bites. This movement could affect the general functionality of the dental crowns, necessitating further interventions or adjustments to preserve the integrity and stability of the dental structure.

The Aesthetic Effects of Veneers Are Greater and Long-Term

Dental veneers provide a long-standing solution for patients seeking a confident and attractive smile. These dental restorations are designed to keep their natural color and withstand staining for an extended period; thus, they provide incredible durability, ensuring a patient's smile remains beautiful and vibrant for several years.

Also, since veneers can retain the natural texture and color of the original teeth for an extended period, patients can maintain their natural smile, boosting their general health and self-confidence.

The longstanding aesthetic makes dental veneers ideal for people seeking an enduring and reliable solution to improve their smiles without compromising quality.

Some types of dental crowns, like porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns, might display a noticeable dark line between the crown and natural teeth with time, possibly affecting the general appeal of a patient's smile. Moreover, the original teeth adjacent to the dental crowns may change color, creating a visible difference between those teeth and the artificial dental restorations.

Veneers Cause Less Tooth Sensitivity

Another great benefit of opting for veneers over dental crowns is that they do not cause tooth sensitivity after placement. That is because, generally, veneers entail little to no tooth enamel removal, preserving a significant amount of the original tooth structure. And since more of the natural tooth structure will be preserved, it minimizes tooth root exposure, lowering the likelihood of sensitivity to hot or cold temperatures after the placement procedure. Because of this, dental veneers are ideal for patients concerned about possible sensitivity or discomfort problems accompanying dental treatments.

Minimal or zero tooth sensitivity provides a more relaxing post-treatment experience, enabling patients to return to their eating routines with little concern regarding possible pain and discomfort.

Installing dental crowns entails extensively scraping off the tooth enamel, increasing tooth sensitivity to fluctuating temperatures for the affected tooth. This increased sensitivity can linger for a long time, possibly causing inconvenience and pain when biting, chewing, or drinking cold or hot foods or drinks.

Veneers Are More Affordable

When comparing the financial aspect of crowns and veneers, the cost-friendliness of veneers is a more worthwhile element for most patients seeking an effective yet affordable solution to improve their smiles. Veneers generally provide a more cost-friendly option compared to dental crowns, allowing patients to acquire their desired beauty enhancements without digging deeper into their pockets.

The cost of dental veneers varies based on various factors, like the material, treatment location, and the attending dentist's expertise. Composite veneers cost between 250 U.S. dollars and 1,500 U.S. dollars, while porcelain veneers generally range from 925 U.S. dollars to 2,500 U.S. dollars per tooth. This cost makes dental veneers viable for patients who wish to address minor cosmetic concerns or dental imperfections while sticking to their preferred budget.

The dental crown’s price ranges from 1,000 U.S. dollars to 3,500 U.S. dollars per tooth. This cost is higher than veneers, which might cause financial hardships for some people seeking to address their dental issues. Also, the possible requirement for more procedures like a root canal can further add to the general costs related to dental crown installation, making it a more costly procedure than dental veneers.

Whereas dental veneers may have limited insurance coverage because they are primarily a cosmetic procedure, exploring flexible financing options and payment plans with your dental professionals can assist in mitigating the monetary burden while making treatment with veneers more affordable and accessible.

By discussing your treatment preferences and budgetary considerations with your dental professional, you can make an informed decision that suits your financial and dental health needs.

Veneers Work Perfectly for Minor and Aesthetic Problems

Veneers are a better option than crowns for patients who wish to fix minor dental problems or cosmetic-related dental problems. These thin shells of composite resin or porcelain material are designed to improve a patient's smile’s aesthetics.

They provide an appealing, natural appearance that effortlessly blends with the original teeth. If you have a minor dental problem, such as chipped teeth, minor tooth fractures, superficial dental misalignments, small gaps between teeth, or badly stained teeth, veneers will work more perfectly than crowns. In all of these cases, veneers would remarkably improve the outlook and color of the teeth, providing an enhanced, appealing smile.

The versatile application of veneers enables the customizing of tooth shape, size, and color, enabling patients to achieve their desired aesthetic objectives without undergoing more invasive procedures.

Veneers are also a perfect alternative for patients who want to enhance their teeth's appearance without undergoing orthodontic procedures like braces or clear aligners.

The capability to conceal minor gaps and misalignments allow patients to achieve a straighter, more symmetrical smile without the prolonged maintenance and duration accompanying conventional orthodontic interventions.

Veneers Offer Conservative Treatment More Than Crowns

When you wish to undergo a more conservative treatment or your dental problem can be corrected by conservative treatment, veneers are your ideal choice. These are generally considered more conservative than crowns; thus, they have little effect on the existing tooth structure compared to dental crowns.

Generally, during placement preparation, veneers necessitate removing just a small amount of the tooth enamel, particularly on the front tooth surface, leaving a significant part of the natural tooth intact. The dental professional only files down a thin enamel layer from the front and sometimes sides of the tooth and does not need to file the back surface of the tooth or its core. This preserves the tooth's integrity and strength, lowering the likelihood of possible complications and providing a long-term solution for the affected tooth or teeth.

Contrarily, placing dental crowns entails significantly reshaping the natural tooth, removing a significant amount of the tooth enamel (between 60 and 70 percent) around the tooth (the front, back, and sides). This translates to 2-4 times as much tooth reduction compared to dental veneers. This extensive disturbing of the enamel can jeopardize the tooth structure, making it increasingly weak and vulnerable and thus necessitating additional dental procedures to keep it strong. For dental restorations, the objective is always to preserve as much of the natural tooth structure as possible.

Additionally, the minimal scraping off of the tooth enamel involved when placing dental veneers eliminates the need for anesthesia when that happens, lowering the risks accompanying more invasive procedures and improving patient comfort.

Dental veneers significantly lower the potential of tissue and nerve damage, ensuring a patient seeking cosmetic dental treatment has a smoother, less discomforting experience.

Find a Aliso Viejo Dentist Professional Near Me

Whether you should choose dental veneers or crowns to treat your dental problem can be a difficult decision. You need the help of an experienced dental professional to ensure you choose an option that best suits your needs. At South Coast Dentistry, we pride ourselves on providing various dental treatments.

We offer dental veneers, crowns, and other treatments like dental implants, dental bridges, dental bonding, root canal therapy, et cetera. We will thoroughly review your dental problem and medical history and help you make the most appropriate decision for your needs. If neither dental veneers nor dental crowns are ideal for your situation, we will recommend another procedure that can serve you right. If you wish to undergo dental treatment in Aliso Viejo, call us at 949-360-1021 for a consultation and case evaluation.