As a biological dental practice, we try to be as conservative as possible and not prep teeth when not necessary. However, there are situations that benefit from cosmetic enhancements. For example, a person presents with a mouthful of dentistry that has been done over the years by different dentists, at different times and by different laboratories. Their teeth reflect that by having a highly varied and at times an unsightly appearance. In a case like this, by coordinating their condition and modern dentistry a very beautiful and more youthful appearance can readily be attained. For the most part these procedures are essentially painless and relatively expedient. Many smiles can be totally made over in a matter of weeks.
Difference between veneers and crowns
Veneers and crowns have a lot in common. They both are fully made of porcelain and their main function (other than cosmetic) is to rebuild missing tooth structure. The difference between them is that a crown covers a tooth entirely and a veneer covers only the visible part (it could be described as a partial crown). Veneers also tend to require less prepping of the teeth as they can be much thinner.
Crowns
A crown may be needed when a tooth has extensive decay, cracks or when the vertical dimension of occlusion needs to be changed (need to correct the wear on your teeth over the years). Those issues cannot always be corrected with a filling and sometimes full coverage of the tooth is necessary.
The process for a crown requires two appointments. The first one consists of prepping the tooth which allows us to remove the decay, the cracks and to make enough space for the future porcelain. Once ready, a comfortable impression is made using our digital scanner. You leave at the end of the appointment with a temporary crown which protects your tooth while we wait for the final crown. After 1 to 2 weeks, we will receive your crown from the dental laboratory. We will deliver it to you in a simple 20 minutes appointment.
At Millennium Dental Associates, all our crowns are strictly made of porcelain. As a metal-free office, we will never deliver a porcelain-fused metal crown to our patients. We will also replace your old metal crowns for better and more cosmetic options such as Zirconia and Emax.
Veneers
Veneers are more often used to correct cosmetic issues. Most veneers cases are done only for the anterior teeth extending to the canines or premolars. The process for veneers is similar to crowns. A visit directly to the dental lab may be recommended to make sure to obtain the exact shade and shape you want for your new smile.
