What Are Crowns? 

A dental crown is a tooth-shaped cap that covers the entire tooth and restores its natural size, shape, strength, and appearance. It fully envelopes the visible part of a tooth and offers enhanced protection.

You might need a dental crown if your tooth is significantly damaged or worn out, and there’s no way a large filling can restore it. The crown will secure the tooth against further breakage and enhance your smile aesthetics.

What Are Veneers?

Dental veneers are custom-made shells of porcelain materials designed to cover the front surface of your teeth and match their natural color. Veneers serve cosmetic purposes and are a perfect solution to fix broken, chipped, misaligned, discolored, or worn-out teeth. 

They can also improve the smile aesthetics if you have gaps between your teeth. This sparing method requires minimal enamel reduction on the front of the original tooth, leaving other parts intact. Veneers are usually installed in sets of 6 to 8 (the exact number depends on how wide your smile is). 

Key Differences Between Crown vs Veneer:

Are crowns and veneers the same thing? No, the main difference between caps and veneers is based on several factors that impact their suitability for your unique situation.

1. Coverage

A crown entirely covers an implant or the remaining tooth to efficiently support occlusal loads and perform the biting function.

Veneers only cover the tooth’s “exterior” to enhance its visual appearance.

2. Purpose

Crowns serve functional and restorative purposes. If your tooth is severely damaged, broken, or missing, a dental crown is the go-to solution. It is indispensable after dental implant surgery. 

Veneers are intended solely for cosmetic improvement. If one of your teeth is chipped, or you want to correct its size, shape, length, or shade, tooth-colored veneers are the right dental treatment.

3. Durability

Crowns are impressively long-lasting: with proper care and thorough oral hygiene, they can endure up to 15 years.

Porcelain veneers don’t yield in this aspect: they usually last from 10 to 15 years.

4. Cost

The price of a dental crown depends on its type and additional dental services:

• porcelain crowns from ceramic materials range from $1200 to $1816 per tooth;
• porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns are less pricey: their cost varies from $850 to $950 per tooth;
• zirconia crowns are between $1200 to $1816 per tooth;
• metal crowns cost between $800 to $900 per tooth;
• composite resin crowns usually range from $550 to $660 per tooth;
• E-max crowns price is from $1200 to $1816 per tooth;
• stainless steel crowns typically range from $550 – $700 per tooth.
• The cost of one porcelain veneer ranges from $1000 and $1816.

5. Aesthetic Impact

Both options can give you a whiter, straighter smile:

• Dental crowns align with individual tooth anatomy, so they complement the size and shape of natural teeth;
• Porcelain veneers give your smile a natural appearance: their color, size, and shape blend with your natural teeth.

When to Choose a Crown

You might opt for a dental crown for:

1. Tooth protection. If your tooth is weak, damaged, broken, or worn down, a dental crown will protect it from further decay.
2. Post-endodontic treatment. If you have undergone root canal treatment, a dental crown can save the functional tooth surface from additional damage.
3. When a tooth can’t be filled. Sometimes, a dentist can’t restore the tooth with a dental filling as the decayed part is too large, so they apply a crown for restorative purposes.
4. Covering badly discolored or misshapen teeth.
5. Holding a dental bridge in place.
6. After the dental implant procedure. A crown is usually placed on top of dental implants.

As you can see, custom-made dental crowns mainly perform protective, substitutive, and aesthetic functions. They are typically covered by dental insurance. 

When to Choose Veneers

Cosmetic veneers are indispensable if you want to:

1. Deal with teeth misalignment.
2. Alter your tooth structure appearance. For a slight modification, you don’t need a dental crown.
3. Cover discolored and mildly chipped teeth. 
4. Conceal slight gaps in your front teeth.
5. Fix accelerated tooth wear.

Veneers can significantly balance the shape, size, and color of your smile, enhancing its aesthetic look. Keep in mind that dental insurance doesn’t normally cover veneer’s price.

Crowns vs. Veneers: Pros and Cons Comparison Chart

Feature/Dental treatment	Crowns		Veneers
	Pros	Cons	Pros	Cons
Purpose	For damaged teeth or dental implants.	–	Cosmetic purposes.	–
Aesthetics	Improving the tooth’s appearance by changing its color or shape.	–	A very natural look.	–
Durability	Long-lasting (can hold up to 15 years).	Much depends on your oral hygiene and proper maintenance.	Usually last from 10 to 15 years.	Oral hygiene and caring maintenance affect their lifespan.
Wear resistance	Wear- and stain-resistant.	Some health conditions (diabetes or autoimmune disorders) can influence their lifespan.	Stain-resistant.	Certain habits like nail-biting can speed up their wear.
Insurance	Yes	–	–	Typically no
Materials	Porcelain, zirconia, metal, composite resin, E-max, stainless steel.		Porcelain, ceramic, and composite resin.
Application	2 visits		2 visits
Risks	It depends on the material: porcelain and zirconia crowns are biocompatible, reducing the risk of allergy.	Your teeth might become sensitive to heat or cold; porcelain crowns might be more vulnerable to chipping; you must monitor the gums condition to prevent gingivitis or gum disease.	Gums tolerate porcelain well.	The procedure can’t be undone; once placed, the veneer color can’t be altered.
Compatibility	Most people over 18 are good dental crown candidates.	Patients with bruxism, gum disease, or tooth sensitivity might not be suitable to get dental crowns.	No upper age limits.	Aren’t suitable for patients with active gum disease, tooth decay, or bruxism.
Impact on natural teeth	Restore tooth size, strength, shape, and aesthetic look.	A dentist has to remove a small amount of tooth enamel around the entire tooth to place a crown.	Minimally invasive treatment: sometimes, a veneer can be placed without reshaping the original tooth.	Teeth might become sensitive to hot or cold meals and beverages.

Which Option Is Right for You?

Though many differences affect capping teeth vs veneers choice, it’s fairly easy to pick the option you need. Dental crowns suit very damaged teeth that can’t be filled, and they are indispensable after dental implantation or root canal treatment. 

Veneers are ideal for cosmetic purposes. Both dental solutions can positively affect your personal and professional life by giving you a disarming smile and making you feel more attractive, confident, and successful.

Porcelain Caps vs Veneers: Your Ultimate Smile Makeover

The resounding battle of porcelain veneers vs porcelain crowns has no winners. The main difference between veneers vs crowns is the portion of the covered tooth. Crowns usually cover the entire remains of a damaged tooth, and veneers—only the front surface, so you can enjoy the advantages of a charming smile. These dental treatments have a positive effect on your self-esteem and come in handy in diverse social and professional settings.

Caps vs Veneers: Most Common Questions

Additional Resources

Still doubtful about teeth capping vs veneers? If you want a bit of visualization to see what the dental crown procedure looks like, please visit Healthdirect, the Australian national virtual public health information service.

To see cases showing before and after the treatment with dental veneers, you can read the article on the National Library of Medicine platform.