What are crowns and veneers and when are they needed?

What are crowns and veneers and when are they needed?

05/10/2020

What are they?

Crowns and veneers are useful tools when it comes to restoring a patient’s smile. Teeth can be worn down due to a variety of reasons: chewing over time, injuries, etc. can all contribute to damage occurring to your teeth, which can become unsightly and less easy to use during normal everyday activities, such as speaking or chewing. When this occurs, crowns and veneers can help. They both have pros and cons of their own, and they are quite different in their structure and application. If you would like to get crowns and veneers Burnham, book an appointment at our practice for a thorough consultation.

What are veneers?

The word veneer refers to a relatively thin layer of solid material, which is bonded to the front part of an already existing tooth. Veneers were invented by Charles Pincus, a dentist from California. He used them as a temporary measure to change the smiles of actors before film shoots. At this time, veneers were made out of acrylic and they had pretty low bonding strengths, so they were not very long lasting. Later developments in the technique of etching have allowed for the invention of longer lasting, porcelain and composite resin veneers. Today, veneers can last between 10-30 years. If you would like to get crowns and veneers Burnham, book an appointment at our Dental Surgery Burnham.

What are crowns?

Dental crowns are caps, which sit on top of a tooth, covering it. They can be made out of various materials, mainly metal, porcelain, porcelain bonded to precious metal, ceramic, glass or gold-alloy. They are used when a tooth has been damaged by injury or tooth decay, and they are also used for purely cosmetic reasons too, in cases where the damaging condition did not affect the root. When a crown is fitted, the existing tooth has to be drilled, to make it suitable as a peg holding the crown. Before a crown is prepared, impressions of your prepared tooth and the opposing dental arch are taken, and additionally another dental impression is also taken showing how you bite with your two dental arches together. The longevity of your crown largely depends on how well you take care of it, however they normally last for many years if cared for, fitted and prepared properly. If you would like to get crowns and veneers in Burnham, contact our dentist for expert and experienced service.

What are their benefits and disadvantages?

Both veneers and crowns have their own advantages and disadvantages. Veneers may be better aesthetically long term, because they do not tend to show the margin of the gum after years, contrary to crowns, which often do. Veneers often do not require your tooth to be trimmed, which allows more of your natural tooth to stay. Teeth fitted with veneers generally do not move. Veneers however leave a higher amount of tooth area to be exposed to tooth decay. Composite veneers, which are the cheapest generally last 5-7 years, while veneers that last longer are more expensive. Veneers are also not reversible.

With a crown, all of your damaged tooth is covered, therefore it will be less exposed to potential tooth decay. They feel and look like normal teeth, and they are also quite permanent and long-lasting. An important disadvantage is however, that most of your natural tooth is removed to leave space for the crown, and this can also make your underlying tooth heat or cold sensitive. Porcelain crowns can be damaged after some time.