Is there a difference in quality between various types of veneers and crowns?

When it comes to the cosmetic aspects of your smile there is, in many cases, only one chance to do it right. That is why you should rely on a trusted and reputable cosmetic dentist in your city, Charleston, SC to do it right the first and LAST time. In regards to materials for crowns and/or veneers there are essentially 3 types.

Composite is the least expensive, weakest, and least cosmetically appealing of the materials. This is the same material we use for your tooth colored fillings and while it can make dramatic improvements its’ longevity as a restorative material is much less than the other options. This material is not recommended for these restorations and will only be done as a last resort.

Next in line is a porcelain fused to metal crown. This combination of materials is not an option for veneers. These crowns, while more durable than porcelain because of their metallic substructure, are less cosmetically appealing because of the slight translucency of porcelain which can enable some of the metal color to show through. There is also a chance over time, with gum recession, that a porcelain fused to metal crown or PFM can show its’ metal border at the gum-line resulting in a very unaesthetic smile if that part of your tooth shows when you smile.

The third and best option contains a few sub categories, this is the ceramic or porcelain option which may or may not contain a zirconium substructure. All crowns and veneers in this category are cosmetically superior to the previous options and the zirconium substructure on porcelain fused to zirconium adds the strength of metal while maintaining the top-quality aesthetics of a pure porcelain crown. These are the materials most commonly used in cosmetic dentistry and are also the most expensive by a small margin.

Call us today to schedule a cosmetic consultation to design your cosmetic makeover and begin a new more confident phase of your life!