cosmetic

Porcelain Crown or Veneers? Great Question!

Porcelain Crowns and Veneers in Pleasantville and Atlantic City NJPatients of Mainland Dental Associates receive the one-on-one attention they need to achieve better oral health and a beautiful smile. If you are not completely satisfied with the visual aesthetic of your teeth, there are treatments that may help your smile come into alignment with how you envision yourself to look. Two of the common restorations that are used to restore and enhance teeth are porcelain crowns and porcelain veneers. Here, we want to discuss the difference between the two, along with some important details that you don’t want to miss.

Porcelain Veneers

The intent behind veneer treatment is purely cosmetic. If you’ve got a gap between two teeth, and you’d like it to “go away,” veneers can be fabricated from dental porcelain in the exact shape, size, and shade needed to disguise the space. These ultra-thin sheaths may preserve the natural translucency of your teeth, but that does not indicate that dental porcelain is fragile. On the contrary, your biting and chewing ability remain fully intact (except for maybe that nugget of taffy or strip of beef jerky). In addition to gaps, porcelain veneers can disguise a variety of other cosmetic concerns, including chips, stains, and slight alignment issues.

Porcelain Crowns

Crowns have been used in dentistry for ages as restorative fixtures. A crown sits on top of a natural tooth, rather than on its front surface, like a veneer. The reason full coverage from a crown may be needed is that the tooth has been damaged, and is vulnerable to decay or another injury. Teeth that have large cavities, or that had previously been treated with a large filling may require follow-up care with a crown. Crowns are also used as an adjunct to root canal therapy, which could leave the natural tooth brittle.

A Word about Porcelain

Crowns and veneers may be fabricated from various dental materials, including metal (crowns) and composite. Porcelain is preferred by many of our patients for one crucial reason: it looks like a real tooth. Composite may be white and can be shaded to match surrounding enamel. However, it is porcelain that reflects light in a similar fashion to enamel. Porcelain, as well, retains the translucency around the edges of a tooth or teeth, so it blends in appropriately with adjacent teeth.

Dental care, whether cosmetic or restorative, should uphold your natural beauty. To learn more about the services at Mainland Dental Associates, call our Pleasantville or Atlantic City office.

Posted in: Cosmetic Dentistry

For more information on our services, call our office to make an appointment.

Pleasantville Office
(609)641-1065
Atlantic City Office
(609)345-1155
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