Aesthetic dental restorations are tooth-coloured material crafted to cover teeth to improve their appearance. They are commonly done in the front teeth and include veneers and crowns.
Veneers are thin, tooth-coloured ceramic shells carefully crafted to bond to and cover the front of unsightly teeth. They are used to whiten the tooth and/or change the shape of the teeth, fill in gaps and create an aesthetic improvement in the overall shape, size and positioning of the teeth.
Crowns usually cover the entire circumference of the tooth. They can be made of many materials including ceramic, zirconia, metal porcelain. They require more removal of the tooth structure to place, but are advantageous in supporting weakened teeth structure, such as in cases where the original tooth is damaged by a cavity or cracked.
Your dentist will discuss with you if either veneers or crowns may be recommended for your teeth, as well as their advantages and disadvantages.
To the casual observer, crowns and veneers are indistinguishable. However, both veneers/crowns demand a high level of technical expertise, careful preparation and meticulous creation of the restorations to achieve a desired outcome.