If you dislike your front teeth because they’re dingy, crooked, widely spaced, oddly shaped, cracked, or chipped, it’s time to visit Dental Care of Lombard. Our owner, Dr. Julie Glud, is an experienced restorative, cosmetic, and family dentist. She designs porcelain veneers, ceramic crowns, and full smile makeovers for adult patients interested in improving their appearance.
Our front, top teeth are the primary teeth that show when we smile. Less-than-perfect teeth may cause you to withhold your smile or hide it from friends, family, and coworkers. If so, Dr. Glud and our team want to help boost your self-confidence by recreating your smile with porcelain veneers or ceramic crowns.
Both veneers and crowns reinvent the shape, size, color, and texture of natural teeth. In today’s blog, you’ll learn:
- The Purpose of Porcelain Veneers
- The Purpose of Dental Crowns
- The Goal: Improve Appearance by Creating a Natural-looking Smile
- Cost Comparison of Veneers and Crowns
- How to Consult with Dr. Glud
Purpose of Crowns
Dental crowns were first invented to repair teeth harmed by large cavities, cracks, or chips. Today, we have a menu of materials to choose from when fabricating crowns.
For front teeth, Dr. Glud prefers to use shade-matched ceramic, layered to create a reflective finish that rivals natural tooth enamel. Back teeth, called molars, incur harsher forces when we chew foods, and ceramic breaks under such pressure. Therefore, we offer porcelain fused to metal (PFM), all-metal, or natural-looking white zirconia for molar crowns.
With good oral health and proper dental care,
- Zirconia crowns can last 15 to 20 years or longer
- PFM crowns can last 5 to 15 years
- All-ceramic crowns can last 15+ years
Purpose of Veneers
Porcelain veneers were created solely for esthetic enhancements. Every veneer is handcrafted from layered porcelain, so it reflects light like natural enamel and can endure 20+ years of use. Veneers transform a person’s appearance by resurfacing teeth that show when you smile. They can be placed on top and/or bottom teeth and are usually placed on one, 4, 6, or 8 teeth.
The Goal: Improve Appearance by Creating a Natural-looking Smile
The main difference between crowns and veneers is their shape. Crowns cover all 4 sides and the biting surface of teeth, while veneers are attached to the front surface of a tooth. They wrap slightly around the sides, as well, for full coverage.
Because of their restorative purpose, crowns are thicker than veneers. On front teeth, crowns look bulkier than veneers.
If your front teeth are damaged by a chip or crack that compromises structural strength, you’ll need a crown. If your front teeth are structurally sound and healthy, porcelain veneers are the preferred choice.
Cost of Veneers vs Cost of Crowns
Veneers may be slightly more expensive than crowns, but not by much. Both restorations are made with durable, shade-matched porcelain or ceramic. Their longevity is approximately two decades. The difference in out-of-pocket cost, however, comes with insurance.
If your front teeth are damaged, your dental insurance may pay a portion of the fee for dental crowns. Veneers are solely cosmetic, and so they are not covered by insurance. Therefore, the out-of-pocket cost of veneers is higher than crowns for patients with dental insurance.
But we dont’ want finances to stand between you and your future smile. CareCredit, a third-party financing institution, lends to qualified applicants for medical, dental, and veterinary expenses. This means you can finance porcelain veneers or crowns with little or no interest and then make affordable monthly payments. CareCredit can also help patients pay their insurance deductibles.
Call for Your Veneers Consultation
In Lombard, Dr. Julie Glud provides cosmetic dentistry and esthetic dental restorations. Her goal is to consistently deliver strong, yet attractive restorations and prosthetics so that our patients have healthy smiles, as well as a reason to show them off. Dr. Glud is accepting new patients of all ages, and she’d like to see your smile in our office.
