Crowns and Veneers: Understanding the Differences

As modern dentistry advances, you have an increasing number of options to improve your oral health and the appearance of your smile. That includes ways to change your teeth directly. Whether one is structurally compromised or a full row of them aren’t aligning with your cosmetic goals, you’re not stuck. 

With options like veneers and crowns, Thomas D. Sokoly, DDS, and our team help you get the strong, beautiful smile of your dreams. Come see us at our Sokoly Dental office in Washington, DC, and we can talk about your goals — and the way to achieve them. 

To make that conversation a little easier, let’s look at two tools we might use: crowns and veneers. 

Crowns: a protective covering

Dental crowns are caps that go over a tooth. They’re effective when the tooth needs some extra protection. If you need a root canal, for example, we might have to remove enough of your tooth that it won’t be structurally sound afterward. By putting a crown on the tooth, we give it a way to withstand the force of your chewing and continue to function like a normal tooth. 

Crowns can also replace missing teeth. If you get a dental implant, for example, Dr. Sokoly mounts a crown to the post implanted in your jaw. 

We also use crowns to install bridges, an alternative kind of replacement tooth. In this case, the new tooth gets attached along the side to a crown. When the crown goes over the tooth next to the gap in your smile, it secures the replacement tooth. 

In rare cases, crowns can also correct teeth that only need a cosmetic fix. Oftentimes, though, veneers are better there. 

Veneers: a cosmetic improvement

A veneer is a thin shell we affix to the front of a tooth. This way, people see that covering rather than the tooth underneath. That makes veneers an effective way to correct teeth that are:

• Stained
• Chipped
• Cracked
• Gapped 
• Misshapen
• Overly short

While getting a crown requires the entire tooth to be prepared to make space for the crown, getting a veneer only requires adjustments to the front of your tooth. Dr. Sokoly removes a tiny bit of the enamel on the tooth’s face so the veneer lays flush with your gum line and surrounding teeth once it’s placed. 

When to use crowns, and when to use veneers

To recap, crowns give you an effective tool to fix structural issues with your teeth. They also help when you’re missing a tooth and want to replace it.

Veneers, on the other hand, offer a cosmetic correction. If the problem isn’t with the tooth but instead — with how it looks — veneers are probably a better option.

That said, you don’t have to figure out the right dental treatment on your own. Call our Washington, DC, office today or book an appointment online.