Porcelain Crowns vs. Veneers

I had a root canal resulting in a discolored tooth. Also, two of my other front four teeth are chipped, presumably from grinding. I had a consultation today and the dentist recommended crowns because of my problems with grinding. Would this be a good choice or would veneers be sufficient?

[Jordy]

Well, veneers are simply thin casings that are cemented over the teeth as is.  I have very worn down teeth and currently have 11 crowns...during one recent appointment my dentist had a dental student with him and he was explaining to her the problems with my teeth (genetically severely poor enamel prone to rapid wearing down beyond normal rates) she asked why not veneers and he said my "enamel would never be able to support veneers. The veneers would eventually pop right off because the enamel would give way."  I believe the tooth needs to have a healthy enough structure underneath the veneers.  Veneers are generally cosmetic, not protective.  Crowns are much stronger and are anchored to the prepped ground down tooth with strong cement and a post placed within the tooth if a root canal is needed first.

[Me2mommy2b]

Crowns would be a better choice for you simply b/c you grind.  You would weaken the bond between the tooth and the veneer by grinding.  Best of luck.

[madmusic]

I believe my teeth are healthy, other than the tooth which received a root canal. If this is the case would you still recommend crowns, or could veneers work just fine? I would prefer to remove as little healthy tooth structure as possible.

[pertykitty]

i agree if you are grinding you could pop off the veneers.  i have seen some happy with the results and some not so happy.  get a second opinion.  you have to be prepared however to have high expenses if you choose veneers then you have to go to crowns.  there are some great crowns today, they can look completly natural and will hold up better.  get a few opinions first, then go with the smartest of the choices. and if you are grinding and chipping your teeth, get a nightgaurd to wear regardless of what you choose.  

[jevans25428]

I have no lower back teeth on either side recently had a lower partial made, but unfortunately I was not able to adapt to it because when I bite down on either side , the other side raises up.  I have only eight lower teeth in the front of my mouth.  Four of the lower teeth were crowned to accomodate the partial.  The other four teeth are chipped somewhat and there are spaces because the teeth have shifted over the years because of the lost of my back teeth on both sides.  My dentist wants to put veneers on the four remaining teeth to make them look more cosmetic.  Because I'm not able to afford dental implants at this time , I will have to bite and chew on my lower 8 front teeth, would it be wiser to have the four remaining lower teeth crowned for strenth and longivity or put veneers for cosmetic reasons.  My concern is that the veneers will not be strong enough to support chewing and that they will not last very long.

[GCJ]

Dear Dentist,
I had my front tooth internal bleached two years ago and I liked the result.  It gives me back my super smile.  However, I recently discovered that the grey color has come back.  My dentist told me that since the internal bleached was not so effective (the grey color came back within two year), porcelain veneer would not recommend because my tooth had root canal done.  A crown is only my option, I am hopeless.   I read about gum receding in time when we are aging and don't want to put the crown on my front tooth because I can't stand with the black /grey line between gum and tooth. What my best option?  Please advise. Thank you.

[lynn117]

this is the community forum so you might not get a reply from an actual dentist. also please post as a new topic. you will get more replies that way as opposed to hijacking a 3 year old post.