Achieving a Transformed Smile With Porcelain Veneers or Crowns

Today’s cosmetic dentist can bring amazing transformations to their patient’s smiles. That’s because we now have a versatile array of materials and processes that precisely replicate the appearance of natural teeth.

Two of the most useful are porcelain veneers and crowns. Although different in structure and function, veneers and crowns both utilize a material known as dental porcelain, a ceramic material that can be shaped to resemble an individual patient’s natural tooth shape, with the same color, hue saturation and translucence as the original or surrounding teeth.

As the name implies, veneers are a thin layer of dental porcelain that adheres to the outer surface of a tooth, essentially as a replacement for enamel. They solve a number of esthetic issues patients have with their teeth, especially those in front: poor color, shape and contours; broken teeth; poor tooth position; and staining that can’t be removed with conventional bleaching. They most often require minimal tooth preparation, as only 1 mm or less of tooth enamel needs to be removed. Occasionally, no tooth reduction is required.

However, they are not a good solution where there is not an adequate amount of tooth structure to work with. In this case, a crown may be the best choice. A crown (or cap) covers the remaining tooth structure completely, reinforcing the remaining tooth structure 360°. This is an excellent choice for patients who have lost a large amount of tooth structure due to decay, trauma or grinding habits that have eroded the enamel.

To determine if you are a true candidate for either of these applications you should undergo a smile analysis in our office. During this process it’s even possible to create a diagnostic mock-up — a “trial smile,” if you will — with temporary tooth-colored materials applied to your teeth and then photographed for your review.

The smile analysis helps us recommend the best solution for you and in turn will help you make an informed choice on the right application for you. Although either option may not be feasible in all situations, they may just be the right choice to change your smile for the better.

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