Dental veneers help improve the appearance of a person’s teeth. They may be beneficial for people who want a long-term solution to persistent cosmetic concerns — particularly those that do not respond to other dental treatments, such as teeth whitening, braces, or retainers.

During the placement process, a dentist will typically remove a small amount of enamel, which is the thin protective outer covering of the teeth. Because of this, once the dentist places the veneers, a person cannot remove them or choose not to use them.

Dental veneers, crowns, and implants can all improve the cosmetic appearance of the teeth. However, there are differences between them.

One difference between veneers, crowns, and implants is the area of the tooth that each option covers.

Dental veneers mainly cover the front of a tooth. By contrast, crowns cover the entire tooth, including the front, back, and all the sides. As a result, dentists use crowns to repair broken teeth, including teeth that have little structure left. Crowns can also help strengthen the teeth they cover.

Implants, meanwhile, are bolt-like structures that attach to the jawbone to replace missing teeth.

When necessary, a dentist may use an implant to secure a crown in the mouth. This may be the case if a person is missing a tooth or a tooth is irreparable because it is too badly broken down and requires removal.

Essentially, dentists use crowns to build up teeth that are badly damaged, whereas implants replace missing teeth. Veneers improve the appearance of teeth that are mostly still intact.