Crowns and Veneers

Average Cost Per Tooth £695- £895

If cosmetic bonding isn’t for you the alternative is to consider a porcelain restoration such as a crown or a veneer. The choice of crown or veneer is made by the dentist to give you the longest lasting result with the least loss of tooth. Often this can become the next step following cosmetic bonding needing more frequent repairs with time if you did not wish to have the bonding replaced again with more bonding.

Crowns and Veneers can be made either by 3d Scanning the tooth or taking an impression. This is only done after careful planning of the end result to prevent you having a smile you are not happy with at the end of your treatment. The cost of this type of treatment is more than the cosmetic bonding option.

This type of restoration can have a natural, vibrant aesthetic and usually during the consultation we will decide together which technician and material is best suited to your end goal. 

Porcelain is used if we want to alter the size/ shape/ shade of the tooth in a way that we cannot achieve with cosmetic bonding or you decide you would prefer an option which is less likely to require maintenance. To place a porcelain restoration some tooth will need to be removed to make room for it. The result is a longer lasting solution, but at the cost of some tooth loss. The risks from this type of treatment are that the nerve inside the tooth can become sensitive in the short term, or in the long term there is around a 5-10% risk that the tooth may go on to require root canal treatment. If this is the case every effort will be made to do this treatment without removing the porcelain, however sometimes this is necessary. You may wish to see a specialist dentist for your root canal treatment should this arise if it appears the root treatment may be complex or to save crown removal. 

In most cases you will wear a set of temporary veneers or crowns at the front of your mouth for a period of weeks to allow us to “test drive” your new smile and make any final alterations before making the decision to proceed to manufacture of the final veneers. The duration of this is dependent on us achieving a result you are happy with. 

Porcelain veneers require some preparation in most cases- however we would always make every effort to keep our preparations minimal. Preparations cannot be kept to a minimum on very crowded teeth, and as such alignment could be recommended before starting veneer treatment. 

Advantages of Porcelain Veneers/ Crowns

· Can mask very dark teeth

· Can help reinforce a weak or broken tooth

· Overall changes in appearance can be better than cosmetic bonding

· Increased lifespan

· Minimal Maintenance- chipping/ staining less common

Disadvantages of Porcelain Veneers/ Crowns

· Some tooth preparation is required often (although minimal)

· If working on previously filled teeth there is a 1 in 10 risk of this tooth requiring root canal treatment

· Although the porcelain is a strong material, the tooth underneath can be weaker and have a shorter lifespan than a non crowned tooth(crown specific risk)

· Higher cost than cosmetic bonding