More and more people are concerned about their smiles. The demand for aesthetic Dental treatments has increased and two clear examples are veneers and dental crowns. Here I explain what the differences are and how they are made.

Apart from teeth whitening or orthodontics, there are other aesthetic treatments to improve the appearance of the smile such as veneers and dental crowns that, apart from being painless techniques, offer faster results.

If you are thinking of doing any of these treatments, here I explain their main characteristics, advantages and disadvantages, and how they differ. So you can choose the one that best suits your dental needs.

This last pair of methods has its own characteristics, points in favor, and disadvantages that we must know before making the decision to opt for one or the other, although both fulfill an aesthetic function.  

What are dental veneers?

They are thin sheets that have a purely aesthetic function. They are placed fixedly on the vestibular or external face of the natural tooth to give harmony to the smile.

Specialists in dental aesthetics bet on dental veneers as a solution to correct defects in the teeth in shape, size, color, or position. Treatment can be customized depending on the needs of each patient.

Of course, it must be clarified that the defects that are corrected with this technique have to be slight. For more complex cases, orthodontics is recommended. In any case, they must be placed on a healthy tooth.

Veneers can be composite or porcelain. The choice of material depends on each patient, although the most used is porcelain because they guarantee greater resistance to stains. 

What are dental crowns?

Dental crowns or caps support occlusal forces. They fulfill their function at the level of appearance and chewing. This is the main difference compared to veneers. They offer a functional solution to dental problems.

To play the role of a completely new and aesthetic piece, dental crowns are placed on the tooth itself or, failing that, on dental implants when the patient has undergone previous surgery. Its tailor-made construction and resistance allow it to simulate the natural tooth and completely replace its functions.   

Veneers and dental crowns: Differences

Although knowing the characteristics of each treatment gives an idea of ​​the differences between the two, here is a list of the main differences between the two techniques.

1. The area they cover is different

Due to their aesthetic nature, dental veneers only seek to improve the appearance of the pieces by covering their external face. However, crowns cover the entire tooth –or failing that, the implant– to completely prevent any kind of leaks. 

The sleeves also ensure the fit required by the chewing process and the need to support occlusion loads. This, obviously, is not achieved with veneers.

2. Purpose

Dental veneers modify the shape, color, size, or position of a tooth, allowing the customization and redesign of the smile according to the patient's tastes. In the process, the original characteristics of the part are always taken into account.

For their part, crowns are placed after dental implant surgery or to protect pieces damaged by cavities, breakage, wear, or that have been root canals.  

In addition, dental caps are also indicated to make a dental bridge, or what is the same, to shape a structure made up of several kinds of cotton with the idea of ​​supplying the absence of several pieces.

3. Carving

Dental carving is a procedure that reduces the natural volume of the tooth when a prosthesis is to be placed, whether it is a dental crown or a veneer. It is done to guarantee the correct adaptation.

The difference between the two methods is that when placing a cover, the tooth must always be carved about 2 mm, while with veneers, it is not always necessary thanks to advances in technique and the creation of sheets the thickness of a contact lens.

In fact, ultra-thin porcelain veneers eliminate the need for carving for placement. If the real tooth has to be ground to fix the veneer, the reduction is only between 0.3 to 0.7 millimeters.

4. Material

As I explained to you at the beginning, veneers are available in porcelain and composite. The former are more resistant, durable, and have an aesthetic effect. They do not lose their shine or stain over time.

With proper care, this type of material guarantees durability that reaches up to 30 years, something that does not happen with composite ones.

In this case, periodic reviews are required as they need to be reinforced and polished by the dentist. The only advantage, yes, is that they are much cheaper.

And dental covers can be manufactured in a variety of materials, from porcelain combined with metal, to aesthetic zirconium crowns, especially to be placed on visible teeth. In molars, for example, metal and porcelain are recommended as they are more resistant.

5. Teeth they stick to

They are usually placed on the visible teeth of the smile: upper lateral or central incisors. Crowns, however, can be placed on any tooth.  

Due to the tendency to accumulate cavities, the use of caps in place of premolars and molars is common. These are more vulnerable and usually require endodontic treatments or get lost due to the difficulty in reaching the area when brushing. 

To carry out the chewing process, crowns are the solution. They allow the teeth to be as reinforced as they should be, something that is clearly not achieved by veneers that only seek to improve appearance.

Now that you know the cases in which dental veneers and crowns can be placed and their differences, you must go to a specialized team capable of addressing the problem and offering an accurate diagnosis after a complete study that allows an action plan to be established. individualized.