In the dental world, there are many ways to go about having crooked or uneven teeth. If you need your bite corrected, you could get braces like invisible braces like invisalign braces for teeth or regular metal braces. Similarly, to make chipped or cracked teeth more appealing, they can be fixed with either tooth bonding or porcelain veneers.
We’re going to look at one of the most common issues with teeth – Chipped / Broken teeth
So first, let’s understand the basics.
Table of Contents
What are Dental Porcelain Veneers?
Dental Veneers, often referred to as Porcelain laminates or dental porcelain veneers because they are most often made out of a thin porcelain material made to protect a tooth’s surface from damage and stain improving the appearance of teeth ultimately enhancing one’s smile.
What is Dental Bonding?
Dental Bonding or tooth bonding is a procedure where resin (a moulding composite used for repairing teeth) is used to mould, harden or repair teeth and make them look natural to improve a person’s smile.
Now that we have covered exactly what each of them are, let’s talk about the pros and cons of both of them. We will start with Veneers.
Veneers : Pros & Cons
There are many perks to getting porcelain veneers fitted to your teeth.
1. Hollywood Smile:
With precisely fitted dental veneers, you get an instantly perfect smile. It hides the appearance of crooked teeth and gives you a smile you can flaunt all over town.
2. Long lasting results:
When veneers are taken care of, they last for around 15-20 years depending on the quality of the veneers and also how well they are looked after. Veneers are also made of a stain resistance material. This means most stains can be wiped off easily giving you a perfect hollywood smile with veneers.
3. Natural & Strong:
Veneers are fitted to give you a natural look. A scan is done prior to the fitting to give you the most natural looking smile. Since porcelain veneers last for a couple of decades, they are made out of a stronger material making it less prone to chipping or breaking off. They are stronger than crowns.
4. Gums Friendly:
Porcelain is friendlier to gums than other materials making it easier for the gums to adapt and less prone to receding. For healthy teeth, healthy gums is a mandate.
Here are some disadvantages..
1. Adjustment time:
Although overtime it will feel natural to chew, bite and speak with veneers, it could take approximately 2 weeks to adjust.
2. Not Reversible:
Once you get veneers bonded to your teeth, it cannot be changed. Even if it is removed, your dentist will most likely have to change it with another because of the appearance of the tooth below, this is because in some cases a very thin layer of your enamel may need to be shaved off to fit the new veneers.
3. Costly Affair:
Veneers are quite costly and range anywhere from $800 to $2500 depending on the number of teeth, how expensive your cosmetic dentist is, your geographic location, quality of the veneers.
Dental Bonding: Pros and Cons
Like before, let’s start with the good stuff
1. No Enamel Removal:
Unlike in the case of porcelain veneers, there is no requirement of enamel shaving for your teeth.
2. Budget -friendly:
It is much more affordable than porcelain veneers and can range from $200 – $400 depending on the clinic and your dentist.
3. Faster Process:
The process to get tooth bonding is quicker compared to Veneers and can usually be completed in one appointment. For veneers, a scan needs to be taken after which the personalised veneers will arrive. Whereas in this case, it is done on the spot.
4. Great for chipped teeth:
Dental bonding makes an excellent choice for chipped or broken teeth as it can be moulded and shaped like clay easily to fit the tooth. This also makes it a great option for an emergency dental procedure like a broken tooth in many cases.
Getting dental bonding is great but there are a few downfalls that come with it.
1. Durability:
Although tooth bonding can last for a long time, it does not last as long as veneers and will need to be replaced twice as often. It lasts for around 5-8 years, less than half the lifetime of veneers and it is not as strong.
2. Appearance:
The use of tooth coloured resin is used for the dental bonding for a natural look but since it is not stain resistant, it will not give your teeth the pearly white finish like veneers. Tooth bonding will darken over time and since the shape of the tooth is molded into place, will not give you the finish of perfect teeth.
3. More Maintenance:
The tooth bonding agent is not stain resistant and also not as strong which makes it prone to chipping easily, breaking off the edges and hence might require more visits to the dentist than the regular check ups. It could also end up becoming more expensive than the veneers if they need to be replaced often enough based on your lifestyle.
The Final Word
Both porcelain veneers and tooth bonding are great options for improving the appearance of your teeth however to make the right choice for yourself, it is most advisable to get the opinion of your dentist.
Book an appointment now to find out if you should polish your teeth by the family dentist in alhambra now.
In certain cases, your dentist may advise you to go for veneers if your teeth are prone to being chipped or breaking since it is stronger and in other cases your dentist may find bonding more befitting as it is not as invasive a procedure as the application of veneers.
