At my practice, I hear many questions and many misconceptions about a “Veneer” vs. a “Crown”. The difference between a porcelain veneer and a porcelain crown is simple.. The veneer is bonded to the front and sides of your natural tooth and a crown encompasses the entire tooth. A Porcelain veneer is the material of choice because it is very conservative and extremely esthetic. When a veneer is bonded to your natural tooth enamel it is the strongest bond we have in dentistry… a veneer it is a great alternative to the conventional crown which requires the dentist to remove more tooth structure. A Porcelain Crown is the material of choice when replacing an existing crown, your natural tooth has a number of fillings, or decay related problems.
A Porcelain crown is the most conservative type of crown we have today and allows the dentist to place a restoration which is bonded to your natural tooth rather than cemented onto your natural tooth such a Porcelain Fused to Metal (PFM). PFM crowns are often considered un-esthetic because they are very opaque in nature, they have a metal core therefore an enormous amount of your own natural tooth structure needs to be removed in order to make enough room for a strong core as well as porcelain. When done correctly the patient will never know the difference between a crown and a veneer when they are side by side.”