How can I tell if my dentist used crown or veneers?

Patients can't really tell most of the time because they aren't dentists. Like the above answers, a crown covers the entire tooth all the way around and the veneer just covers the front of the tooth. Hold a mirror inside your mouth in front of another mirror and see if you see your own tooth color or a... more

Why not try asking your dentist? It would not hurt to say you are confused and would like to know the difference between the two and why he used one over the other. Veeners cover the front and tips of the tooth where the crown literally wraps around the entire tooth. You can see if it is a veneer from the back... more

Generally, veneers only cover the front (visible) portion of the tooth.  Since a veneer is made completely of porcelain, it can be bonded to the tooth. A traditional crown (one that has porcelain fused to metal) cannot be bonded, therefore, the dentist has to wrap all the way around the tooth in order to... more

Visually, they appear the same from looking straight on and from a conversational distance.  Veneers generally cover only the front and tips of the teeth, while the back is left alone.  There is often a color shift, so if you can see the back of your teeth in a mirror, it should be fairly obvious... more

Veneers are a thin porcelain facing while crowns wrap 360 degrees around the tooth. Other than the amount of coverage over the tooth, there should be no other aesthetic differences.  To see if you have a crown try to visualize the back of the tooth through a mirror if it appears to be the same color as... more