If you’re looking for a way to freshen up your smile or repair damage to your teeth, you may have come across both crowns and veneers in your research. While both options help you strengthen and rebuild your smile, there are some differences between the two treatments that you should be aware of.
Has your tooth undergone considerable damage or a large root canal? Crowns will help strengthen your tooth and protect it from further damage or decay. Looking to simply change the color or shape of your teeth? Lesser-invasive veneers are your best bet!
Here are some other things you should know about the popular treatments.
What Are Crowns?
Crowns are a tooth-shaped cover that strengthens, rebuilds, and improves the appearance of a damaged or weakened tooth. Unlike a veneer, a crown covers your entire tooth. It’s a little thicker than a veneer and made out of porcelain. In our Springfield office, we make our crowns in-house using CEREC technology. This gives us control over its fit and appearance and lets you get back to smiling in as little as two visits.
We recommend crowns for patients who have had considerable tooth damage or decay. We’ll file down the damaged tooth and then rebuild it using a crown that’s digitally created and then milled in-house to match your existing teeth. This crown won’t only improve the appearance of your smile but make it easier for you to eat without pain.
If you’ve had large cavities or root canals, crowns are also a great option. Cavities weaken your tooth, so a crown helps protect it from further damage. However, bacteria can still sneak in beneath your crown and decay your existing tooth, so we recommend that all patients treat their crowns like they would their real teeth: by brushing and flossing daily and avoiding sugary snacks.
What Are Veneers?
Veneers, sometimes referred to as a ¾ crown, cover only the surface of your tooth in a thin layer of porcelain. They can help change the shape, color, and size of your teeth. They’re less invasive than crowns, but don’t offer the same full coverage. As a result, we don’t recommend veneers for patients with heavily damaged teeth or large cavities. Instead, veneers are recommended for cosmetic purposes. If your tooth is intact, but you’d gain more confidence by changing its appearance, veneers are a good option.
The veneers will be bonded to the surface enamel of your teeth. Like you would a crown, treat your veneers as though they were your natural teeth. We also recommend wearing a nightguard when you sleep to help protect the veneers from damage caused by grinding or clenching.
Which Option Is Right for Me?
To determine whether crowns or veneers are the best option for your smile, make an appointment for a free consultation in our office. We’ll walk you through which option is best for you and why!
Affordable Options, Priceless Results
Here at DICE, we offer both crowns and veneers in Springfield. We want to make quality dental care accessible to all patients, which is why crowns start at only $675 and veneers start at $1000. These treatments won’t only improve your smile and your oral health, but your confidence as well. And that’s priceless.
If you’ve long been considering giving your smile a fresh, new look, contact us today to schedule an appointment! We’re only a short drive from Philadelphia, PA and Wilmington, DE.