Maintaining a bright and healthy smile plays a critical role in our overall confidence and health. If you have an imperfect tooth that is affecting the aesthetics of your smile, you should consult your family dentist or a cosmetic dentist for appropriate treatment. In addition to impacting the aesthetics of your smile, these imperfections on your tooth could affect your confidence.
Common cosmetic dental procedures that your dentist could recommend to strengthen your teeth and restore the aesthetics of your smile include dental crowns and veneers. While they can both restore your tooth strength and give you a new smile makeover, they serve different purposes. That is where the services of a dentist become critical.
The dentist you will hire will assess your tooth health and imperfections to determine an appropriate treatment option for your unique needs. Here is what you need to know about dental crowns and veneers, respectively:
Dental Crowns
A dental crown, also known as a tooth cap, is a tooth-shaped covering that can fit over the surface of your decayed or damaged tooth. A dental crown is designed to cover the entire visible part of your tooth, restoring its shape, appearance, strength, and function. The specific material your dentist will use to make your dental crowns will depend on the seriousness of your problem and your unique preferences.
Common material options used to make dental crowns include the following:
- Metal — Metal dental crowns are ideal if you want a long-lasting, durable cosmetic treatment option for your problem. Nickel, gold, chromium, and palladium are common examples of metals your dentist could recommend
- Porcelain fused to metal — As the name suggests, the dentist can fuse metal with porcelain to make your dental crown. While metal is the primary material, porcelain helps give the dental crown a more natural appearance that will blend seamlessly with the aesthetics of your smile
- Resin — While it is one of the cheapest options, resin-made dental crowns will wear down faster than other options
- Porcelain or ceramic — These dental crowns are ideal for your front teeth because they are more visible than others. However, while porcelain or ceramic dental crowns offer you a more natural look, they can wear down the surrounding healthy teeth
While dental crowns are an excellent cosmetic treatment for restoring your damaged tooth and improving your smile’s appearance, not every patient is an excellent candidate for the treatment. If you have an infected or several damaged teeth with compromised pulps, your dentist may perform root canal treatment before placing dental crowns. Your dentist is more likely to recommend a dental crown if:
- You have already received root canal therapy on the affected tooth
- You have a severely broken or fractured tooth
- You have a discolored tooth
- You have a large filling that has failed
Here is a step-by-step guide on what to expect during a dental crown placement procedure:
- Trimming of the Affected Tooth
As mentioned in the previous paragraph, a dental crown will cover the entire visible part of your tooth. Therefore, to ensure the dental crown fits your tooth perfectly and firmly, preventing plaque from accumulating on the affected tooth, your dentist will slightly trim your tooth.
- Taking Your Tooth’s Impression
After preparing the affected tooth, the dentist will take an impression of your mouth. An impression is a model that your cosmetic dentist or his/her lab technician uses to prepare your tooth for custom-made dental crowns that fit perfectly on your tooth.
- Temporary Crown Placement
After a week or two, you will return to the dentist’s clinic for the placement of a temporary dental crown. The temporary tooth crown helps prevent the affected tooth from causing discomfort if it is still a live tooth and keeps the adjacent teeth from shifting out of position before the placement of your permanent dental cap.
- Placement of Your Permanent Dental Crown
Once your final dental crown is ready, you will visit your dentist for the last appointment to allow him/her to place it perfectly on your tooth to restore its strength, appearance, and functions, including biting and chewing food. The dentist will adjust it until it aligns with your unique bite for the perfect and aesthetically appealing smile that you deserve.
Once the dental crown is ready, he/she will cement it in place with dental cement to keep it securely on top of your teeth. If everything looks perfect and the cement has set, the dentist gives you post-treatment instructions and schedules a follow-up appointment to monitor the treatment’s progress.
Benefits of Using a Dental Crown
You can care for your dental crowns as you would your natural teeth, but avoid hard foods that could break or chip them. Examples of hard foods to avoid include candy and nuts. Here are the benefits of using a dental crown to restore your damaged or cracked tooth:
- Improved Protection From Decay
Since a dental crown covers your entire tooth, it prevents plaque from building on the surface of your tooth, reducing your chances of developing decay and cavities on the protected tooth.
- It Offers an Excellent Structural Support
If the affected tooth has lost a substantial amount of its structure, has large restorations, cracks, or extensive decay, a dental crown can provide reinforcement and restore its function.
- They Have Several Uses
Another benefit of dental crowns over veneers is their versatility. Your dentist can recommend a dental crown after root canal therapy or when you have an endodontically treated tooth to help support and reinforce your bridges or implants.
- They Have a Long Lifespan
If you want a permanent and long-lasting solution for your damaged or weak tooth, dental crowns could offer you that and more. After installation, dental crowns can last anywhere between fifteen (15) and twenty (20) years, depending on the material you chose and how you care for them.
- Your Insurer Could Cover Its Treatment Costs
As you are probably aware, most insurance providers do not cover cosmetic dental procedures. While a dental crown has its cosmetic benefits, your insurance provider may cover its cost if it is part of a restorative treatment. For example, when your dentist recommends a dental crown to strengthen a weakened tooth after root canal therapy.
However, like any other treatment, using a dental crown to restore your damaged or weak tooth has its drawbacks, such as:
- Once you receive a dental crown, it is impossible to restore your tooth to its original state
- The trimming of your tooth could cause temporary sensitivity in your tooth
- It could cause wear and tear of the surrounding teeth, depending on the material used to make your crown
Dental Veneers
A dental veneer is a layer of ceramic or porcelain that a cosmetic dentist applies to the front surface of your tooth to mask its imperfections and improve its aesthetic appearance. Think of dental veneers as a “fake nail” for your tooth. Once installed, dental veneers can drastically improve the aesthetics of your smile.
Dental veneers are an excellent treatment for cosmetic dental issues where the tooth structure is still intact. The gum tissues surrounding the affected tooth should also be in excellent health condition for the dentist to recommend dental veneers.
Dental veneers are an ideal treatment for you if you need minor changes to your tooth shape or color. That is particularly true if the imperfect teeth are easily visible when smiling. Here are examples of dental conditions that could make your dentist recommend dental veneers:
- Minor tooth chip
- Minor gaps between your teeth
- Persistent stains or discolorations on your tooth
- Slightly crooked teeth
The application of dental veneers to your tooth is a painless procedure that requires a few key steps outlined below:
- Digital Images of Your Tooth
As part of the diagnosis process, the dentist will request X-ray images of the affected tooth and surrounding gums to ensure they are healthy and able to support the veneer. Since it is a painless procedure, anesthesia is not necessary.
- Trimming
The dentist will begin by trimming the affected tooth to ensure the veneer fits perfectly. The depth to which your dentist will trim the tooth depends on the thickness of your veneers. Trimming helps create an uneven surface that can bond seamlessly with your veneers.
- Color Matching
Your dentist will choose a dental veneer that complements the color of your adjacent teeth. The dentist will use his/her shade reference guide to determine the best color for your veneer. The dentist must also consider the translucency of your dental veneers, as it will affect your tooth’s final appearance.
- Taking of Your Dental Impression
As with a dental crown, your dentist will require an impression of the affected tooth to customize your dental veneers. To make an impression of your tooth, the dentist will load a moldable putty into a dental tray and place it on the affected tooth for a few minutes. Once your impression is ready, the dentist will use it to fabricate your tailor-made dental veneers, which will fit seamlessly on the front surface of your tooth.
Before your permanent veneers are ready, the dentist may require you to wear temporary veneers to protect the prepped tooth.
- Shape and Fit Evaluation
Once your veneers are ready, you will return to your dentist’s clinic for placement and fitting. The dentist places them on the surface of the affected tooth and adjusts them accordingly to achieve the desired bite and smile appearance. While the lab technician can fabricate your dental veneers precisely, once the dentist places them on your tooth, minor adjustments may be needed to achieve the desired smile.
That is why your dentist must conduct a fit-and-shape evaluation before bonding them to your teeth permanently.
- Bonding
Once your dental veneer is in place, the dentist will etch the tooth using a mildly acidic gel. Etching the affected tooth’s enamel helps create a rough surface that can help the bonding material adhere to your tooth. The dentist will apply the bonding material to your tooth and place a veneer over it. The dentist will then remove any excess cement from the tooth, giving you the attractive smile you deserve.
After receiving your dental veneers, your dentist will give you instructions on how to care for them to increase their durability. While they are permanent, like dental crowns, certain habits could weaken or chip your veneers. For example, chewing hard foods like nuts could chip your enamel.
After a week or two, the dentist may ask you to schedule a follow-up appointment to monitor for signs of inflammation and to confirm that your veneers are securely in place. Fortunately, caring for your dental veneers is easy and much like caring for your natural teeth.
Brushing and flossing twice daily and visiting your dentist every six months for routine dental checkups can help keep your dental veneers in excellent condition. Here are some of the advantages of choosing dental veneers over dental crowns:
- Some veneers require minimal trimming of the affected tooth
- They are more aesthetically appealing than crowns
- They are resistant to stains, especially when you opt for porcelain veneers
Ultimately, whether the condition of your teeth requires a dental crown or veneer depends on various factors, including the following:
- Your budget and whether the insurance will cover the treatment
- The severity of your tooth damage
- Your aesthetic preferences
- The location of the affected tooth
- Your preferences and risk tolerance
Find a Dentist Near Me
Once you schedule an appointment with your dentist, he/she can assess the condition of your teeth and consider several other factors mentioned above to determine whether you should fix your tooth imperfection using a dental crown or a veneer. If you want to restore the strength of your tooth or protect an implant, a dental crown is the best option.
However, if you are looking for a cosmetic solution for minor chips or discolorations on your tooth, dental veneers could be an excellent treatment option. We invite you to call our credible dentists at Calabasas Smiles Advanced Dentistry at 818-878-7300 to discuss your dental concerns and cosmetic goals for appropriate guidance and treatment.
