A Few Reasons To Get Dental Veneers Instead Of Crowns

Posted on: 17 November 2017

If you have yellow, chipped, or slightly crooked teeth, you should talk to your dentist about getting porcelain veneers. These are thin pieces of porcelain that are colored to match your teeth and glued to the front of them. While some problems may be repaired by having a crown placed over the teeth, veneers are often the better choice. Here are just a few reasons why.

Less Filing of Your Natural Teeth

When a crown is placed on a tooth, the tooth must be filed or ground down to a small nub. With veneers, only a small amount of your tooth is filed from the front, leaving the rest of the tooth structure intact.

More Natural Looking

While crowns can be made of porcelain too, so they resemble natural teeth better, there will be a small area at the top of your tooth that remains. Over time, the edge at the top of the crown may show due to the way the natural tooth discolors. Veneers will not have this line, so they always look natural.

Correct Gaps and Crooked Teeth

If you have gaps between a few teeth, or they are slightly crooked, veneers can be placed on them to correct the problem. Because of the way crowns are fitted, they will not resolve these issues. They can be placed on two or more adjacent teeth to give you a perfect smile.

Reduced Chance of Infection

No matter how well a crown is placed, if your gums recede there is a chance for bacteria to get underneath and infect the remaining nub of the tooth. This may not be noticed until the infection has spread to other teeth or travelled through your blood stream to other parts of your body. Since veneers only cover the front of a tooth, it is easier to keep the rest of the tooth clean and free from bacteria. In addition, they are glued directly to the teeth and there is no gap between them and your natural teeth.

If a tooth is so badly damaged there is not enough surface left for the veneer, your dentist will recommend having a crown put on instead. However, in most other situations you can have veneers. Ask the dentist for before and after pictures of both crowns and veneers on people who have the same type of problem you have. Together, you can decide which would be best for your smile. For more information, contact companies like Advanced Family Dental Care LLC.

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