After Removal of Gold Crowns Are Porcelain Veneers an Option or Only Porcelain Crowns?

A porcelain veneer has only minimal tooth preparation, always drilling away some of the enamel on the front side of the tooth, and sometimes a little off the top or sides.  Crowns require drilling on all five sides (top, back, front, left and right).  Thus, once a crown has been places a patient could only have another crown.  However if a porcelain veneer was placed first, if if that needed replacement for some reason (decay, tooth breakage), then either another porcelain veneer or a porcelain crown could be made to replace it.

You dentist was correct and in this era where appearance is so important, would recommend all porcelain  crowns rather than gold or porcelain fused to metal crowns.  Following your dentists advice, I'm sure you will be much more pleased with your husbands "new smile".

Once a tooth has had a crown, a veneer is no longer an option.  A veneers preparation of the tooth reduces a minimal amount of tooth structure on the front & biting surface, a crown on the other hand is reduced all around.  A full porcelain crown is a great way to achive a natural aesthetically pleasing smile since they look just as great as veneers do.

If your teeth have previously been restored with a crown, the tooth will always need a crown.  So in this case veneers are not an option.  However, with todays technology a porcelain crown will function and look just like a real tooth.

Once a tooth has been prepared for a crown you cannot have a veneer done on that tooth in the future.  A crown restoration encircles that whole tooth and a veener only covers the front surface of the tooth.  It sounds like your husband is going to a great dentist that has a plan to get his teeth and gums healthy.  

1.  Once a tooth has had a gold crown that tooth will always need to have another crown.  Cerec and e-max are both great choices that are lifelike and give amazing cosmetics. 

2.   Without pictures I am assuming the gold crowns were toward the back of your husbands mouth.  Veneers only cover the front of teeth and sometimes a little of the sides and back of teeth.  A veneer does not cover the entire tooth.  Hope this helps.  Good luck and urge your husband to floss to keep his new smile healthy.

Usually after the tooth is prepared for the crown- a significant part of the tissue is removed from all of the areas of the tooth. Veneer is covering only the buccal (front) part of the tooth. So, in the situations when the patient had crowns previously- they can be replaced only with crowns. Full ceramic crowns will be the most aesthetic option for upper anterior teeth.