When looking to improve your smile’s looks, crowns and veneers are two options you can opt for that have the capability to provide a great result. However, these two options don’t go about it in the same way! In other words, crowns and veneers aren’t the exact solutions you should just go for without thought. 

Despite them having a similar end goal of improving a smile, these two procedures have many differences that you need to consider before picking one. Though the dentist can help clarify these differences for you, it can still be a little difficult for you to choose the right one if given a choice between the two options.

With that being said, here are the differences between crowns and veneers to help you choose the right dental solution for your needs: 

The Purpose 

As mentioned earlier, both crowns and veneers work to improve your smile. However, there is a stark difference even in this. 

Crowns not only help to improve your smile by enhancing its looks, but they can also serve as a restorative solution. Because crowns completely replace the original crown of your teeth, this means that an old and damaged tooth can have a brand-new crown that not only looks great but functions well as actual teeth!

On the other hand, veneers are purely a cosmetic solution. They only improve the front of the teeth, while the rest of the teeth behind it are still the original teeth. For this reason, veneers are primarily only used to hide cracks, chips, and discolouration.

The Procedure

To begin, the procedure for both the crowns and the veneers is quite similar. 

On the first visit, you will have a local anesthetic applied to minimize any discomfort you may feel. After that, the enamel removal process begins. For veneers, a minimal amount is removed to ensure a good and even fit. Crowns require more enamel to be removed to allow the crown to fit over the entire tooth.

With that done, impressions are made from the teeth and sent to the lab. There, it takes around one to two weeks for the veneers or crowns to be created. If you are undergoing a crown procedure, you will receive a temporary crown while the final crown is being made.

It is during the second visit that you have the actual crown and veneers placed onto your teeth. You will have a follow-up meeting a few weeks after they are placed on your teeth to see whether the crown or veneers fit comfortably and how well the gums are responding overall.

The Benefits 

Both the crowns and the veneers have their own set of benefits. 

Cosmetic-value-wise, veneers are a good option because they are much cheaper than crowns, and they can bond incredibly well to the teeth. On the other hand, crowns are an incredibly reliable restorative and cosmetic solution that can last for up to ten years!

Conclusion

Overall, both crowns and veneers are great ways to improve your smile’s look, and the differences above should be able to help you pick the right solution to satisfy your needs. More often than not, the dentist will be the one making the recommendation, so listening to what they believe to be the better solution is vital to your smile’s aesthetics. 

That being said, understand that neither of these two solutions will help to strengthen weak teeth. Good oral health is first required before any of these solutions can be put into place—and for that reason, underlying oral issues will first be treated before going through with crowns or veneers.

Edmonton Smiles is a dental clinic in Edmonton, Canada, offering emergency dental, teeth whitening, and preventive services. If you are looking for one of the best cosmetic dentists in Canada to improve your smile, book an appointment with us today! Contact us today for your Edmonton dental crowns treatment.

Posted in Dental News & Advice