Your teeth are designed to withstand the pressures of constant wear and tear from chewing and biting. Though durable, teeth might suffer damage over time that impacts their appearance, health, and function. If your teeth sustain harm, a dentist can help you restore them using dental fixtures.
Two options to enhance your teeth include porcelain veneers and dental crowns. Both of these custom-made caps attach to the teeth, but they serve differing purposes.
A dentist can find the optimal way to help your unique smile when you schedule a dental consultation. You can also read on to find similarities and differences between these two types of dental fixtures.
Boost Smile Aesthetics with Porcelain Veneers
Porcelain veneers refer to cap-like shells that a dentist can adhere to the front of a patient’s teeth to build a brighter, straighter, and fuller smile. They construct them on a personalized basis for their patients, considering their smile aesthetic goals as well as the existing structure of the mouth for beautiful and natural-looking results.
Veneers will take two or more appointments at the dentist’s office to complete. The dentist must first prepare the teeth by etching into the enamel, making them better able to accept the adhesive for the fixtures. You will receive a local anesthetic to numb the area and ensure your comfort during this process.
When your custom veneers are ready, you will return to your dentist to receive them. The dentist uses bonding material to seal the veneers into place. With proper care, the veneers will remain on the teeth for fifteen years or longer.
Though designed for cosmetic purposes, meaning they specifically work to improve the aesthetics of the smile, veneers can improve oral health as well. They can protect the front of the teeth from external threats since the bonding creates a seal over this part of the tooth.
Restore Tooth Structure with Dental Crowns
A dental crown is a ceramic cap that a dentist employs for restorative purposes. This means they give these to patients whose teeth sustain structural damage. The cap covers the entire surface of the tooth to provide full protection.
As with veneers, the crown requires more than one appointment in order to prepare the tooth and then install the custom-made fixture. The dentist must shave a minute amount of tooth enamel to make room for the cap. Then when the permanent crown is built, the dentist places it over the tooth and seals it using dental cement.
The crown replaces weakened or damaged enamel and prevents further harm from affecting the tooth. It can stay in place for fifteen or more years if you follow your dentist’s care instructions.
Since dentists make crowns on a custom basis for patients, they can also consider the patient’s aesthetic goals with this treatment. The crown can serve to improve the appearance of the tooth as well as its health and function. Discover which treatment will best suit your oral health needs when you visit your dentist.