Will a Porcelain Veneer work for a cracked front tooth or should I get it capped?

Bonding should always be considered the temporary fix, as veneers and crowns should be considered the permanent fix.  I say this because bonding stains very quickly, it breaks very easily and it comes off very easily.  Conversely, a single veneer or cap (crown) could last 20-30 years very easily, if proper care and hygiene are maintained.  If money is an issue, you may want to keep trying the bonding, but if you have a way to pay for the permanent fix, I would highly recommend the cap; it will save your tooth in the long run.  Good luck and I hope this helps. Follow me if you have more questions.Sarah Thompson, DMD

I would tend to trust the recommendation of your new dentist. If he sees a crack on the back side of this tooth then the best treatment may very well be to place a crown than covers the entire tooth to provide it with extra strength and keep the crack from getting bigger.

"Properly done" a porcelain veneer is just as strong as an all-ceramic crown on a front tooth.  Matter of fact, most of the time they can be made of the exact same material as an all ceramic crown.  Huge advantage, the actual tooth underneath is way stronger with a porcelain veneer than a porcelain crown.  Reason being, that little bump on the back of the tooth (dentists call this "the cingulum") accounts for a huge part of the strength of front teeth.  When that is drilled in preparation for a full crown that part is removed, and the resulting tooth strength is half what it would be with a porcelain veneer.Regarding material, HIGHLY RECOMMEND using Emax porcelain for the front tooth, whether full crown OR porcelain veneer.  It is my favorite porcelain material to use!!!  It is extremely strong (10 times that of bonding), very natural looking and fits the underlying tooth extremely well.If you're continually having to replace the bonding on a front tooth, then it is obvious that the direct composite material is not strong enough for your mouth.  Cut your losses, don't have that tooth bonded anymore.  Thus....my professional recommendation, do the two front teeth together (for maximum esthetics, color, size, shape, symmetry), making one a porcelain veneer and the other a porcelain crown.  And tell your dentist to have the ceramic lab us Emax porcelain!

From your statement, it sounds like the dentist tried to bond to an existing veneer instead of replacing it with a new veneer.  In "some" instances bonding to an existing veneer may work.  Having a new veneer placed may be the best choice from an aesthetic standpoint instead of trying to place a bonding to the existing porcelain veneer.As far a the crack goes, it really depends on the location, size and depth of the fracture.  A crack is always a result of stress or structural weakness of the tooth.  Or how else does it get there?There are many new porcelain options available today that will allow the dentist to  place a full crown on that tooth to help stabilize it while still being conservative and saving as much tooth structure as possible.Will a crown ALWAYS stop the progression of the crack? NO.  But it is far better to be proactive and do everything possible to limit the amount of damage/cracking to a tooth at an early stage.  Because if the crack does extend, nobody knows where, how deep, or how far it will go.  If into the nerve, then you are looking at a root canal.  If it goes under the gum, the tooth may need further surgery or perhaps even to be extracted. As I always say, "It depends on how many times you want to work on a tooth!"  Patch and fill does not last as long and will require more visits, more time, and more money over the long haul!Best of luck!