Veneers vs Crowns for a New Smile?

Q: Which is better for a new smile; crowns or veneers? One doctor wants to do crowns, one wanted to do veneers?

A: I have been whining about a $14,000 fee to replace a five year old a/c unit. I got a second opinion: Guess what? Got it fixed for $300! My entire duct system in my attic was fine; the installer two years ago who wanted the $14K, left a giant opening behind the air-handler, allowing air form my garage to enter the ductwork causing all the grief.

Moral of the story: if you have been to a big corporate business for an estimate; check out a smaller, solo business for a second opinion.

Veneers are always a first choice to change a smile, simply because:

1. They are more conservative; meaning less tooth structure has to be reduced.
2. They require less time in the chair.
3. Your original bite is not changed much.
4. Post-operative tooth sensitivity is less
5. Less chance for need for root canal treatment down the road.
6. Easy to repair if needed.

Crowns are needed if:

1. Your teeth are so worn down, you need full coverage for strength.
2. Your bite is so bad and “over-closed” with an overbite from hell warranting that we “open-the-bite”; allowing for taller teeth, requiring an entire arch be treated with crowns, not just the ten teeth that show in your smile.
3. Your teeth are chock full of old fillings or have an existing crown.
4. One or more of the teeth are implants.
5. You natural teeth are super dark and cannot be masked out by a veneer which just covers the front of the tooth and often cannot block out dark grey, black or brown teeth.