Porcelain Crown Vs Porcelain Veneers for Peg Laterals After Braces

Thanks for including pictures on your smile.  The docs recommending veneers or 3/4 crowns on your peg laterals are really saying the same thing - although the terms used make it sound different.

The good news is that the porcelain veneers need very little tooth preparation (not none, but a very small amount) and the results will look lifelike.  You will be really happy and have a long lasting result.

The doc recommending bonding on 6 teeth, must be seeing something not visable on the pictures you included.  If you whiten you teeth 1st, and really like the teeth surrounding your peg laterals, then restoring the pegs only is the correct choice for you.  Wish you the best!

When restoring a peg lateral any porcelain restoration gives a superior result over bonding. You get a better light reflection, shade gradation, translucency, and better strength. Whether a full porcelain crown or veneer is placed depends on the amount of retention needed, your dentist will make that education decision.

Space discrepancy is a big issue.  Good for you for taking care of your teeth and wearing braces!!! 1-Once your braces are off, make sure to wear your retainer to hold the space as your teeth stabilize.  During this time you can whiten if you want a brighter smile.  2-Go to your dentist and have them do a wax up so you can see the end result of your cosmetic treatment.  There will be a charge but well worth it.  You will be able to see what the treatment will look like and what you need to do to get the final result.  3-Then you decide what to do. Bonding with plastic is more affordable and a great solution after braces.  Someday you may need veneers but you can always go to veneers, even after bonding.  4-If you don't like the color of your teeth, or the shape, then you need to decide if you want to do veneers.  Hope this help guides you-Congratulations!!!  Dr. Wendy

The 3/4 crown and the veneer are two names for the same procedure.  Both involve minimal reduction of the tooth and placement of a porcelain shell over the tooth to change appearance.  I prefer this option over the bonding of a plastic composite over the face of the tooth.  Over time, the plastic materials loose their luster and anatomy due to wear and often discolor.  This does not occur with porcelain.

 

Everybody agrees that in the case of these peg laterals a crown or a veneer are essentially the same treatment.  Lets not discount the ability of new age dental composite resin bonding to mimic the shape, colour and texture of the adjacent teeth.  In the right hands the bonding may prove to be even more aesthetic then the porcelain veneers/crowns. 

The most important part is to make sure the orthodontist leaves an equal space on either side and that the teeth and gums are in harmony, the material choice is really dependent on what your doctor feels he can use to create your smile with the greatest aesthetic success.
 

For best cosmetic result I would recommend you get Porcelain Veneers on your two peg laterals.  The only reason I could see that a dentist might have recommended doing more than the two laterals is if there is not enough space that is wide enough to make the Peg Laterals look normal in width.  If that is the case I would consult with your cosmetic dentist to discuss this with who ever is doing your braces to see if they can recreate the ideal space (width) to accommodate an ideal looking lateral veneer.  You need to find this our before the braces are removed.  If this is the case you may need to keep the braces on for additional time but it will be worth it.  Porcelain Crowns will also provide you with nice cosmetic results but are not as conservative as the Porcelain veneers since they will require more tooth structure removal.  Dental Bondings will work but will not provide you with as good aesthetic outcome and these bondings are also more likely to chip, break or stain over time versus porcelain restorations.

I think it all depends on the position of where the teeth were left after the orthodontics. I would say that the majority of orthodontists are going to leave the teeth in a great position for the restorations. I would recommend veneer or 3/4crown, and depending on the height  and width of the peg laterals. You may not need to do any preparation on the teeth. I do believe that a full coverage crown is unnecessary.  However, if you have existing restorations (fillings) on the peg laterals it may require full  crown coverage for the best long term result. 

Without question, any ceramic or porcelain material used to restore your peg laterals is going to look better and last longer than bonding.  A true veneer vs. a 3/4 crown becomes semantics.  You will certainly want to consider bleaching your teeth prior to any restorations being placed on your lateral incisors.  Usually, peg laterals can have minimal tooth structure removed in order to achieve the desired esthetic result with porcelain.  Pocelain veneer vs. 3/4 crown vs. full crown really doesn't matter--your teeth and bite dictate which restoration will be the best and give you the best long-term result.
 

The two docs who recommended veneer and 3/4 crown are probably planning the same treatment and calling it 2 different things -- and the photos help -- I would do 2 no-numbing, no-prep veneers -- and I'd incorporate whitening all of your teeth either before treatment -- or while I have you in temps.  I hope this helps!

Dr. Estep