When you are looking for a dental restoration, especially for cracked, chipped, or discolored teeth that make you self-conscious, there are many different factors to consider. While the appearance of your smile is important, selecting a restoration that lasts, is affordable, and works for what you need is also important to consider. We’ve looked before at dental bonding vs. veneers. If you’re still not sure what will work best for you, here’s how dental crowns vs. veneers measure up.
The basics of dental crowns vs. veneers
Before choosing crowns vs. veneers, it’s important to know the difference between the two.
Dental crowns are an entire artificial tooth placed over your natural tooth. Crowns can be made from a variety of materials, ranging from ceramic to gold.
Dental veneers are a thin shell of material that is usually affixed to the face of your tooth. Most veneers are made from porcelain. When veneers are made from composite resin, they are usually temporary and referred to as dental bonding.
What are the major differences between veneers vs. crowns?
Taking the time to analyze veneers pros and cons and dental crown pros and cons is important when it comes to choosing the best smile restoration for you.
When considering veneers vs. crowns, there are six major factors to weigh:
- Conditions treated by each
- Procedure
- Appearance
- Recovery and aftercare
- Longevity
- Cost
1. Conditions treated by each
Both veneers and crowns can treat chipped, cracked, gapped, stained, or otherwise discolored teeth. The main difference between the two lies in the severity of the correction.
Veneers are great for otherwise healthy teeth that need a cosmetic lift. This includes teeth with deep stains, cracks, or small gaps.
On the other hand, dental crowns are useful when the tooth itself has decay or damage that would make it impossible for a veneer to adhere to whatever natural tooth is left.
Teeth that are badly chipped or have large gaps can also be cosmetically corrected with crowns, but the main difference is that when it comes to veneers vs. crowns, veneers are best for healthy teeth that need a little polish, while crowns work best for teeth with healthy roots but more complex issues on the natural tooth.
2. Procedure
The biggest difference in the procedure for veneers vs. crowns is that a crown is a permanent restoration, while a veneer can be temporary, both based on how much tooth material is removed.
For veneers, a small amount of tooth material is removed to allow the veneer to properly adhere and make room for it against the neighboring teeth. Our master ceramists at AZ Dentist create your veneers, properly color-matched and sized. The veneers are then placed on the teeth using a thin layer of dental cement.
Dental crowns remove much more tooth material. This means that there must always be a crown on the remaining natural tooth to protect it. In general, if you are receiving a crown, this means that your natural tooth material may not have been exceptionally viable to begin with, so this may not concern you as much.
Under local anesthetic, your dentist will remove the natural tooth material before taking a mold for your crown. You will receive a temporary crown while your permanent one is custom made. Once it’s ready, your permanent crown will be placed and checked for proper fit and bite.
3. Appearance
Veneers and crowns are both beautiful options for a bright, even smile.
Veneer materials like zirconia and the Lumineers® brand of veneers make these a natural-looking option for front teeth restoration. Zirconia is also especially strong and can withstand the pressures of biting and chewing surfaces in the back of the mouth.
Dental crown materials have come a long way, too, since the days of the fake-looking, opaque full-mouth restoration. With materials ranging from porcelain to gold (and zirconia too), crowns offer exceptional light reflection and natural-looking restorations, even for your front teeth.
Appearance is an important consideration, but since both offer remarkably natural-looking smiles, the other factors may influence your decision more.
4. Recovery and aftercare
Recovery and aftercare for veneers vs. crowns differs mostly due to the extent of tooth removal and the use of local anesthetic. Your dentist will likely not use anesthetic for veneers, but it is often essential for crowns due to the removal of decay or damaged tooth material that may involve nerves.
Once the numbness wears off from your crown procedure, aftercare for both is about the same. Take good care of your teeth by brushing twice a day and flossing once daily. Visiting your dentist twice annually is a good preventative measure to help keep your veneers and crowns beautiful.
5. Longevity
Veneers and crowns can have a similar life span: between ten and twenty years. This depends in large part on a variety of factors, including your oral hygiene habits and whether or not you clench or grind your teeth.
Lifestyle factors influence the longevity of both, and materials make a difference, too. For example, composite resin used for temporary crowns and low-cost veneers is not durable and will not last as long as zirconia veneers and crowns.
6. Cost
Finally, cost is an important consideration. First, the good news: because dental crowns are often necessary for oral health and may not be purely cosmetic, your insurance company may pay a portion of the bill (although they might dictate which materials you can choose). Because veneers are typically used for cosmetic restoration, most insurance companies will not help with the tab, regardless of materials.
Out of pocket, expect to pay between $250 and $2,500 for veneers (that’s the low end with composite veneers and the high end for porcelain veneers).
For crowns, all-porcelain crowns can set you back between $800 and $3,000 per tooth. These costs are estimates only and can vary wildly depending on your geographic area and the expertise of your dentist.
AZ Dentist is your weekend dentist with convenient hours and multiple locations across Phoenix. When you are ready to choose between crowns vs. veneers, or if you have more questions, give us a call.
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