Dental crowns and porcelain veneers are two dental solutions that we proudly provide in our Fullerton, CA dental office. Many patients have questions regarding these two services because they seem very similar at surface level. However, dental crowns and porcelain veneers have two very different purposes in dentistry. Learn more about the differences between dental crowns and porcelain veneers below:
What is a dental crown?
A dental crown is a prosthetic tooth that is designed to replace the entire exterior of your natural tooth. It fits over the foundational core of your natural tooth. Your dental crown will be color matched to your natural teeth and made to aesthetically and functionally replace your natural tooth.
What is a porcelain veneer?
A porcelain veneer is a thin, ceramic shell created to replace the front-facing portion of your tooth. Designed to look like your natural tooth but better, a porcelain veneer cosmetically replaces your natural tooth while allowing you to maintain most of your natural tooth behind the veneer.
What can a dental crown fix?
Dental crowns are usually used for restorative purposes. When a chip or crack is too deep and begins to affect the functionality of your smile when chewing or speaking, we will suggest replacing the tooth with a dental crown. This allows patients to avoid the need for a tooth extraction after suffering from extensive dental damage.
What does a porcelain veneer conceal?
Porcelain veneers are usually used for cosmetic purposes. They conceal minor blemishes like bleach-resistant stains, small chips, cracks, or gaps within your smile. The thin, ceramic shell is placed over aesthetically-distracting teeth to help them blend in more with the rest of your smile. Patients can get one veneer or a full mouth of veneers depending on the desired extent of their smile makeover.
What is the main difference between veneers and crowns?
Veneers are far more minimally invasive than a dental crown because they serve primarily cosmetic purposes. As a result, veneers do not require very much enamel removal compared to a dental crown. While porcelain veneers replace only the front-facing portion of the natural tooth, a dental crown replaces the entire exterior of the tooth. Dental crowns require us to shave down the damaged tooth to only its foundational core which supports the restoration, making crowns better for patients in need of a more extensive tooth restoration.
Schedule An Appointment
If you are interested in learning more about getting a dental crown or porcelain veneers in our Anaheim, CA, Placentia, CA and Fullerton, CA area dentist office, schedule an appointment with Dr. Kush Patel or Dr. Krutav Patel. Fullerton Craft Smiles are currently welcoming new patients. We look forward to seeing you soon.