General Dentistry
What are
dental crowns?
Dental crowns are small caps that are customized to fit over the biting surface of your teeth to provide them with additional strength and protection. They act to repair the shape, size, and structure of your teeth so you can continue using them as you normally would without experiencing uncomfortable side effects due to a weakened structure. That way, you can chew your food without having sharp pain caused by tooth sensitivity.
Crowns are incredibly versatile restorations that can be made from a variety of materials, including metal, ceramic, and porcelain.
Why do we need dental crowns?
We recommend dental crowns to our patients for a variety of cosmetic and restorative reasons. Some of the most common situations in which we may suggest a dental crown include:
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A Severely Decayed Tooth: If you have a tooth that has a large dental filling in it, we may recommend placing a dental crown over the top of it to hold it securely in place.
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Forced Trauma: To repair and support severely broken teeth, dental crowns are often recommended.
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Root Canal Therapy: After root canal therapy, we often top our patients’ treated teeth off with a dental crown to restore the structure and strength.
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Fixed Bridges: Patients who have missing teeth can benefit from a fixed bridge held in place by two dental crowns.
What Is a Dental Bridge?
A dental bridge is a custom-crafted restoration that can replace one or more consecutive missing teeth in an arch. The prosthetic is comprised of two dental crowns secured to either side of free-standing replacement teeth, called pontics. The crowns are secured to your natural teeth located on either side of the gap in your smile, holding the bridge in place and completing your arch of teeth. With the proper maintenance, dental bridges can last for anywhere from five to 15 years.
The Process of Getting a Dental Bridge
When you come into our office to get a dental bridge, it will likely take place over the course of two appointments. First, we will prepare the teeth that the crown-portion of your bridge will be placed on. Then, we’ll capture a digital impression of the area that we’ll use to create a blueprint for your dental prosthetic. All of our specifications will be sent to our laboratory to craft your crown. Once we receive it, we’ll call you back in to permanently cement it and complete your arch.
The Benefits of a Dental Bridge
Replacing missing teeth is crucial to preserve your oral health. When you get a dental bridge, you can enjoy a variety of benefits, including:
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Prevent surrounding teeth from drifting into misalignment.
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Enhance your speaking and chewing abilities.
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Easy to maintain and keep clean.
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Maintain your facial structure.
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Restores the complete look and feel of your smile.
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Helps combat the threat of additional tooth loss.
How Do Tooth-Colored Fillings Work?
Composite fillings are created to match the color of your tooth, so the filling is unnoticeable to anyone, giving you a natural-looking smile. Composite fillings only take a few seconds to harden with a special curing light. This causes the composite filling to become hard and ready for use immediately allowing you to eat as soon as you please.
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Composite fillings are a very helpful advancement in modern dentistry, but they are not always the best choice. There are some limitations, just as all filling material has some limitations. When a filling area is too large, there may not be enough of the natural tooth structure to prevent cracking or breaking. Sometimes, a tooth may already be cracked before the filling is added. In these cases, composite fillings are not the best choice. A crown or onlay may be the only way to protect the natural tooth from further damage and decay. We are happy to discuss in more details the differences in filling materials and choices.
