Comparison of porcelain veneers and crowns for resolving esthetic problems: two case reports.

When dentists are considering restoration of maxillary anterior teeth to improve esthetics, they must often choose between porcelain veneers and full-coverage crowns. Porcelain veneers are considered much more conservative in terms of the requirements for preparation, and they provide satisfactory, long-lasting esthetic results. Typically only the facial surface is involved in veneer preparation, with the minimal preparation depth ranging from 0.3 to 0.5 mm to maintain the all-enamel surface that is necessary for optimum bonding to the veneers.1 However, if the teeth are already compromised by the presence of extensive carious lesions, wear, old restorations or endodontic treatment, placement of a crown is the more prudent choice. This article presents 2 selected cases, one illustrating an ideal situation for veneer restorations and the other illustrating an ideal situation for crowns.