Crowns Vs. Veneers: Which Are Best For Me?

Concerns such as crooked or discolored teeth can be embarrassing enough to make you want to hide away your smile for good. There are several methods to improve your smile from within, but one way to improve its appearance from the outside is by using crowns and veneers.

These nifty little dental improvements are designed to cover your existing teeth with a tough new shell that immediately makes teeth look better while also strengthening your smile. But what option is the best one for you? Dr. Tomazin offers both individual crowns and full veneers to make a beautiful, healthy smile a reality.

Royal Treatment: How Crowns Can Improve Your Smile

Much like the royal tiara that they get their name from, porcelain dental crowns go over the surface of the tooth like a cap to cover it and restore its shape and size. Crowns are then cemented into place, fully encasing the visible portion of the tooth and improving the overall appearance.

Dr. Tomazin offers individual crowns made out of specialized porcelain, which are designed to blend in with the rest of the teeth and provide the most natural appearance.

What Can Crowns Do?

Crowns are useful in restoring individual teeth that show signs of damage such as cracks, severe wear and tear, or discoloration. Crowns can restore teeth that have been worn down due to grinding or other conditions. Crowns can also help strengthen teeth that are starting to grow weak or have sustained damage due to dental conditions.

Crowns Procedure & Recovery

Dr. Tomazin will first examine the tooth in need of a crown to better prepare for its placement, typically by getting X-rays done to clearly see the teeth and surrounding structures. The application process is fairly simple and involves some enamel being removed from the surface of the tooth receiving the crown.

Once the tooth is prepared, the crown is applied over it and adhered using a form of cement paste. An anesthetic may be used to numb the tooth right before the crown is placed to minimize any discomfort, but most crown placements are pain-free.

Porcelain crowns are closely matched to the color of the rest of your teeth, ensuring results look as natural as possible. The tooth will be sensitive for a few days following the crown placement, but this should dissipate within a few days. Crowns are designed to last up to 15 years with proper dental care.

Veneer of Excellence: How Veneers Enhance and Improve Teeth

If crowns are designed to improve on individual teeth, veneers take smile improvement one step further. By using wafer-thin shells designed to closely match shape and tone, veneers get rid of unattractive-looking teeth and replace them with ones that look and feel like the real thing, only better. They’re stain-resistant and very durable, designed to last up to 15 years or longer.

Dr. Tomazin offers porcelain veneers specially formulated to match and improve existing teeth. Veneers can even help improve a patient’s overall bite, helping to improve overall dental health in the long run.

How Do Veneers Work?

Veneers are essentially tiny shells made out of porcelain that are then adhered to the surface of the teeth, similar to crowns. What makes veneers a bit more versatile, however, is how their design can be expanded to improve large swatches of teeth all at once, drastically enhancing appearance right away.

Veneers Procedure & Recovery

Much as with crowns, Dr. Tomazin will first examine the teeth in question to see which teeth need veneers and where the veneers will be placed. On the day of the procedure, a thin layer of enamel will be removed to allow the veneer to better adhere to the surface. An anesthetic may be used to reduce tooth sensitivity after veneers are placed.

The procedure is usually painless, with Dr. Tomazin using a special cement to adhere the veneer in place before a light beam is used to “cure” the adhering agent and keep veneers in place. As with crowns, recovery for veneers is fairly simple, with some sensitivity in the treated areas for a few days after the procedure. Proper dental hygiene is recommended to ensure veneers stay in good shape.

Should I Get Crowns Or Veneers?

It really depends on just how much damage your teeth have sustained and what your appearance goals are. Patients who only need a few replacements here and there will probably benefit from crowns, which are best suited to repair individual teeth. Crowns are also better suited for teeth which are weakened, as they cover the tooth’s surface in a way that strengthens it greatly.

For more extensive signs of damage, veneers are the better choice, as they provide dramatic improvement almost right away. With veneers, patients can improve the appearance of several teeth at once. Veneers and crowns may also be used together for optimum results.

Interested in learning more about porcelain crowns and veneers? Schedule a consultation with Dr. Tomazin soon by filling out our contact form online or calling our Riverside office at 951-686-3666.