Bridges & Crowns

DENTAL SERVICES

Bridges & Crowns

Dental crowns and most bridges are fixed prosthetic devices that mimic &replace missing teeth. Unlike removable devices such as dentures, which you can take out and clean daily, crowns and bridges are cemented onto existing teeth or implants, and can only be removed by a dentist.

More about dental crowns

A crown is used to entirely cover or “cap” a damaged tooth. Besides strengthening a damaged tooth, a crown can be used to improve its appearance, shape or alignment. A crown can also be placed on top of an implant to provide a tooth-like shape and structure for function.

Types of crowns:

Porcelain or ceramic crowns can be matched to the color of your natural teeth.
Zirconia and other CAD/CAM crowns Zirconia is the hardest known ceramic in industry and the strongest material used in dentistry, it has to be fabricated using a CAD/CAM process but not the conventional manual dental technology.
Other materials include gold and metal alloys, acrylic and ceramic. These alloys are generally stronger than porcelain and may be recommended for back teeth.
Porcelain bonded to a metal shell is often used for back teeth because it is both strong and attractive.

A crown is recommended to:

Replace a large filling when there isn’t enough tooth remaining; Protect a weak tooth from fracturing; Restore a fractured tooth; Attach a bridge; Cover a dental implant; Cover a discolored or poorly shaped tooth; Cover a tooth that has had root canal treatment.

More about dental bridges

A bridge may be recommended if you’re missing one or more teeth. Gaps left by missing teeth eventually cause the remaining teeth to rotate or shift into the empty spaces, resulting in a bad bite. The imbalance caused by missing teeth can also lead to gum disease and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders. Bridges are cemented to the natural teeth or implants surrounding the empty space.

Types of bridges:

As with crowns, you have a choice of materials for bridges. We can help you decide which to use, based on the location of the missing tooth (or teeth), its function, aesthetic considerations and cost. Porcelain or ceramic bridges can be matched to the color of your natural teeth.