The short version
- A crown encases the whole tooth. A veneer covers only the front.
- It restores function as well as appearance, which a veneer does not.
- Two appointments, with a lab stage and a temporary crown between them.
- It suits damaged, cracked or weakened teeth, and people who grind.
- It keeps your own root, which is why it beats replacing the tooth.
- Appointments
- Two
- Covers
- The whole tooth
- Carries bite load
- Yes
- Temporary
- Worn between visits
A crown covers a tooth. That is the difference from a veneer, which covers the front face of one, and it is the difference that decides which treatment a tooth needs.
What a crown does
A porcelain crown restores the function of the tooth as well as its appearance. It takes the load of chewing, which is why it suits teeth that are damaged, cracked or weakened, and why it is the treatment for patients who grind or clench.
It also works cosmetically. A crown corrects a tooth discolored beyond what whitening will reach, or one that is misshapen. Made well, it is not distinguishable from the teeth around it.
Compared with the alternatives for a badly damaged tooth, a crown is the less invasive and less expensive route: it keeps the tooth you have, and with it the root, which holds the surrounding bone.
The first appointment
The dentist examines the tooth first, because a crown needs something to sit on. If not enough sound tooth remains, a crown is not the answer and a different treatment gets considered.
If the tooth is sound enough:
- The surface is reduced to make room for the crown to fit correctly in the bite.
- Where the tooth is damaged, parts of it may be built up first so there is enough bulk to support the crown.
- An impression is taken. You press your teeth into a moulding material that sets, leaving an exact impression. It is painless.
- The shade is chosen, matched against the teeth around it.
- A temporary crown protects the prepared tooth while you wait.
The mould goes to the laboratory, where a ceramist makes the crown for your tooth specifically. That is the same relationship that decides the quality of veneer work: see the dental lab and the ceramist.
The second appointment
When the crown comes back, the temporary is removed, the fit and shade are checked, a bonding agent is applied, and the crown is placed over the tooth.
Two appointments is the usual number, and the gap between them is the lab stage.
Crown or veneer
The question is what is wrong with the tooth, not how it looks from the front.
A veneer covers the front surface. It suits a sound tooth with a cosmetic problem: staining, a chipped edge, a gap, an uneven length. See what dental veneers are.
A crown encases the tooth and carries load. It suits a tooth that is cracked through, heavily filled, weakened, or has just had a root canal and needs protecting.
A veneer on a tooth that needs a crown is a repair that fails, and it fails after you have paid for it.
Telling the two apart takes an examination and usually an X-ray.
How crowns compare with bridges and implants is in crowns, bridges and implants compared.
What a crown needs from you
Healthy gums, because the gum supports the crown at its margin. Enough remaining tooth to save. And the same care afterwards as a natural tooth.
The porcelain does not decay. The tooth underneath still can, at the margin where the two meet, which is the part worth cleaning carefully.
Booking an examination
Sarasota Smile Design is on Clark Road in Sarasota, a short drive from Nokomis, Osprey and Venice. Open Monday to Thursday, 8am to 4pm.
Call 941-927-5411, or see dental crowns.
