Veneers vs crowns: which one does your tooth need?

Veneers and crowns side by side

The table is the general picture. Which column your tooth sits in is decided at the exam, with an x-ray, because how much sound tooth is left matters more than what the tooth looks like from the outside.

When a veneer is the better fit

A veneer suits a tooth that is structurally sound but looks wrong. It changes what people see without needing to hold anything together, so the tooth underneath has to be healthy enough to carry it on its own.

• Stains whitening will not shift. Discoloration that sits inside the tooth, from medication, an old injury or fluorosis, rather than on the surface.
• Small chips and worn edges. Front teeth that have chipped or worn short can be rebuilt to their original length.
• Gaps. A small space between front teeth can be closed by making the neighboring teeth slightly wider.
• Uneven shape. A tooth that is shorter, narrower or pointier than the one beside it can be brought into proportion.

Before any veneer is planned, Dr. Bhoompalli checks how your bite comes together, so the veneer is not placed where it will be worn down or knocked loose. Veneers are not the answer for teeth with large fillings, active decay or gum disease; those are treated first, or the tooth moves to the crown column. The full process is on the dental veneers page.

When a crown is the better fit

A crown suits a tooth that has lost enough of its own structure that it needs holding together. Covering only the front would leave the weak part exposed to chewing.

• A crack. A crown holds a cracked or broken tooth together so the crack cannot spread toward the root.
• A large old filling. When a filling would be bigger than the tooth around it, a crown restores the strength a filling cannot.
• After a root canal. Back teeth become drier and more brittle after root canal therapy, and a crown keeps them from fracturing.
• Heavy wear from grinding. Crowns rebuild the height of teeth worn flat, usually alongside a night guard. On back teeth, metal is often the better material for grinders.

Dr. Bhoompalli takes a conservative approach: if a filling or a smaller repair will keep the tooth sound, that is what she recommends instead. The materials and the two-visit process are covered on the dental crowns page.

What each costs here

These are the same ranges published on the veneers and crowns pages. Where you land inside a range depends on the material and the tooth, and your exact fee is set at your consultation, before any work begins. For how to read a quote for several teeth, see comparing veneer costs per tooth.

Insurance is where the two differ most. Most dental plans pay a percentage of a crown that restores a damaged tooth. Veneers are usually treated as cosmetic and not covered, although some plans make an exception for a chipped or damaged tooth. We check your benefits before treatment, and financing and an in-house membership plan are available for the balance.

Other options worth asking about

Sometimes neither is needed. A small chip or a narrow gap can often be repaired with dental bonding: tooth-colored resin shaped directly on the tooth in one visit, usually with little or no enamel removed. It stains and chips more easily than porcelain but can be touched up. Veneers versus bonding compares those two in detail.

If color is the only thing that bothers you and the stains are on the surface, try teeth whitening first. It changes nothing about the shape of the tooth and removes no enamel. One thing to plan around: veneers and crowns do not lighten with whitening, so if you want both, whiten first and match the new work to the brighter shade.