Veneer or Crown?

[Alexa]

Hi

I have two front teeth that are discoloured. They were traumatized a few years back and my dentist did root canal treatment on these teeth and now gradually they have become darker and darker.

I have seen my dentist and he suggests putting crowns on these teeth but I know that with crowns, the teeth have to be shaved down quite a lot and wouldn't want my teeth shaved down so much.

Do you think, there is a way that I could have veneers on these teeth rather than crowns? I have heard that lumineers dont need any tooth shaving and can just be added onto the teeth, do you think Lumineers or some other veneer could be used instead of crowns?

[Dr Ehsan J. Esfahani]

Hello Alexa,

Thank you for your post.

Front teeth that have root canal treatment can become discoloured over time. Dark teeth are unsightly and patients request treatments to mask this discolouration. We need to assess your teeth before the treatment options can be discussed in more detail.

Generally root canal treated teeth are crowned and veneers like lumineers are not the correct treatment. A veneer may mask the discoloured tooth but a veneer does not prevent re-infection of the root canal. Therefore we do not place veneers on root canal treated front teeth.

If the discolouration is severe, bleaching can be tried to improve the appearance. Before bleaching is tried, an x-ray is taken to ensure the root canal treatment is good and there is no infection present. Following bleaching a crown is necessary to restore the appearance and reduce the chances of re-infection. Front crowns can be all ceramic, look natural and are high strength.