Building Confidence With Dental Beauty

Dental veneers and dental bonds are two somewhat similar cosmetic dentistry techniques that help correct structural issues on the teeth. Veneers and bonds both only cover the very front of the tooth, unlike dental crowns, which cover the entire exterior. Though they can have similar results, veneers and bonds have both different application methods, composite materials, and pros and cons.

What are the pros and cons of dental veneers versus dental bonds?

Pro: Natural Looking and Don't Stain

Veneers are made out of a porcelain material while dental bonds are made of a flexible composite resin. The difference in materials is due to how the items are placed. Veneers are made using a mold of your teeth and then bonded onto the teeth. Bonds are sculpted directly onto the tooth and hardened with a special light.

Both veneers and bonds look more natural than a metal filling. Veneers can look a bit more natural because the translucency of porcelain better mimics the slight translucency of natural teeth. The porcelain is also more stain resistant than resin, which is an important consideration if you have frequent staining issues.

Pro: Minimal Tooth Loss

Veneers are custom fit for the outside of your tooth. The dentist will need to perform a minimal amount of filing on the tooth's surface to better help the bonding material to stick and to wear away any sharp edges that might force the veneers loose over time.

Bonds, on the other hand, are thicker due to having to be formed directly on the tooth. So more of your tooth will need to be filed away to both help the bonding and to keep your tooth from looking unusually large with the bond in place. If your natural tooth is still fairly healthy, you might not want to lose so much of the tooth to the filing process of dental bonds.

Con: Can't Fix Major Issues

The same advantage of requiring minimal filing also means that veneers can't cover substantial issues. If you have widespread surface cracking that requires a great deal of filing to smooth out the tooth, a dental bond is going to do a better job and cover the problem and making the resulting tooth look more natural.

You should always consult with your cosmetic dentist, such as Trussville Dentistry, about what procedure will best suit your particular needs. There might be special circumstances with your tooth that will make a veneer or bond a better choice despite the other seeming better on paper.