Crowns, Veneers & Bridges in Braintree
Three related treatments that rebuild or reface a tooth. Which one is right comes down to how much of the tooth is left, and that is a clinical question rather than a cosmetic one.
Two treatments, two pages
Refacing a tooth, or rebuilding it
Veneers cover the front of a sound tooth to change its shape and shade. Crowns cover the whole tooth to rebuild it, and bridges use crowns either side of a gap to replace a missing tooth.
Porcelain Veneers
Thin porcelain facings bonded to the front of the teeth. The strongest option for changing shade and shape together across a whole smile line, and the least reversible.
Veneer costs and lifespan
Crowns & Bridges
e.max and zirconia crowns for teeth that are broken, heavily filled or root treated, and bridges to replace a missing tooth using the teeth either side.
Crown and bridge costs
Crown vs veneer vs composite bonding
The honest starting question is whether you need the tooth rebuilt or just refaced. Everything else follows from that.
| Crown Covers the whole tooth | Veneer Covers the front face | Composite bonding Added to the tooth | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Use it when | The tooth is broken, heavily filled or root treated | The tooth is sound but the wrong shape or shade | Small chips, gaps and worn edges |
| Natural tooth removed | Significant, all round | A thin layer of enamel | Usually none |
| Reversible | No | No | Yes |
| Appointments | Two | Two | One |
| Typical lifespan | 10 to 20 years | 10 to 15 years | 5 to 8 years |
| Available on the NHS | Yes, on clinical need | No, cosmetic only | Only to repair damage |
| Relative cost | High | High | Lower |
If two options would both work, I will tell you which I would choose and why. The cheapest treatment that solves the problem properly is usually the right one.
Choosing between them
Do I need a crown or a veneer?
It depends how much sound tooth is left, not on how you want it to look. A veneer covers the front face and needs healthy tooth behind it. A crown covers the whole tooth and is what a broken, heavily filled or root-treated tooth needs.
Is a bridge better than an implant?
A bridge is quicker and cheaper but means crowning the teeth either side of the gap. An implant leaves them untouched and lasts longer, at higher cost and over several months. I place bridges and refer for implants where that is the better answer.
Could composite bonding do the job instead?
Sometimes, and it is worth asking. If the tooth is structurally sound and you want a modest change in shape, bonding is cheaper, reversible and done in one visit. It is not strong enough to rebuild a tooth that keeps breaking.
How long will any of these last?
Crowns ten to twenty years, veneers ten to fifteen, bridges ten to fifteen. In all three cases what usually fails is the tooth or gum at the margin rather than the ceramic itself, so hygiene matters more than the material choice.
Can I have these on the NHS?
Crowns and bridges yes, where there is clinical need, at the Band 3 charge. Veneers no, because they are cosmetic. NHS treatment restricts the material choice to what is clinically adequate, which matters most on a front tooth.
Still have a question?
Ask it at your consultation, or ring the practice and ask for Dr Akhalwaya.
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