Should I get Veneers or Crowns?

As a Bowie family dentist, we use both dental veneers and dental crowns to restore damaged teeth.  If you are wondering, should I get veneers or crowns, we invite you to schedule a dental exam.  At Gateway Dental, Dr. William Swann DDS can examine your teeth, discuss your smile goals and lifestyle, and then make a recommendation as to the best way to proceed.  If you live in Bowie, MD or the 20716 area, call (301) 485-7492 to schedule your dentist appointment. 

To understand the differences between the two treatment options, it helps to understand why they could be necessary in the first place. 

Infected tooth.  If your tooth becomes severely infected, you will need an endodontics treatment to prevent the infection from spreading and the need for future dental extractions.  We can comfortably complete this procedure for you in our dental office.  When we are done, we will use a dental filling to restore the missing tooth structure and may need to place a dental crown to protect the tooth.  This is one area where dental crowns really shine.  Crowns are a cap that surround the tooth entirely, preventing anything from touching it directly.  In this scenario, a veneer would not provide the right level of protection.

Damaged tooth.  If your tooth has become damaged and is either cracked or chipped, it will need to be restored.  As a cosmetic dentist, we can do so in a way that looks entirely natural using a dental bonding procedure, dental veneers or dental crowns.  This is a situation where you might be able to choose which option you want since all three are effective.  Which one you need will often depend on the extent of the damage.  If, for example, your tooth has a minor crack, a dental veneer can correct it since a veneer sits on top of the natural tooth.  If, however, your tooth has a significant chip, a crown may be the best solution since it surrounds the tooth.

Erosion. If your teeth are sensitive, we encourage you to call our dentist office.  We can protect your teeth with dental crowns so that nothing touches them, and the sensitivity is reduced or eliminated.

Appearance.  If you are trying to improve the appearance of your teeth, you should consider scheduling a teeth whitening treatment first.  This will improve their overall appearance and as an Invisalign® dentist, we can straighten them as well.  For teeth that do not respond to a whitening treatment as they should or ones that have other issues like gaps in between teeth, dental veneers are an excellent solution.  A veneer requires less preparation, meaning that more of your initial tooth structure can remain in place. 

If your teeth have become so damaged that restorations are not enough, we may need to perform dental extractions.  In this case, we can replace your missing teeth with dental bridges, dentures, or dental implants.  However, we can typically save your teeth with ongoing dental cleanings, periodontics, and restorations.  As a kids dentist, we understand that oral health starts early so when you schedule an appointment for yourself, bring your kids in too! We can help everyone in the family to stay in excellent oral health.