Crowns

The first step in the dental crown procedure is to remove the damaged parts of the tooth. Then the impression of your mouth is taken and will also shade match your teeth. A temporary dental crown will be affixed to your tooth until your permanent crown has been created. Once your permanent crown is finished, the second part of the dental crown procedure requires a return visit to the clinic. Your permanent crown will be fitted and your damaged tooth will be restored to appear and function like a healthy, natural tooth! Though the dental crown procedure usually takes two visits, it is a procedure that requires a relatively short amount of time in the dental chair. Dental crowns provide a natural-looking tooth restoration option that can preserve your tooth for years to come. Contact us for your dental crowns need.

Crowns

Also known as caps, restore damaged teeth. A crown covers a tooth above the gum line and mimics the shape, size and color of the surrounding teeth. Crowns cover, protect, seal and strengthen a tooth. A crown is needed when a filling just will not work. A crown may be made of white porcelain, or porcelain fused to gold. There are many situations when it may be necessary to place a crown:

Large decay.


In the event of a tooth has developed decay so deep and large that a filling will not stay, or if the tooth structure is weakened, a crown must be placed on the tooth to save it.

Large old fillings.


Other situations when large old fillings break down, or get decay around them, they usually need to be crowned. A tooth that has been structurally weakened a cap must be placed without delay. Once a tooth develops a crack or breaks through the old filling, it may not be possible to save it.

Cracked tooth.

When a tooth is cracked, a filling will not seal the crack. A crown has to be placed over the tooth to hold it and the crack together. A crown must be placed on such a tooth in time; otherwise it will become sensitive to chewing pressure, or will eventually break. It is important to crown a cracked tooth before it breaks, because in some cases a broken tooth cannot be crowned and must only be extracted.

Broken / Fractured tooth.


A tooth that has broken is usually too weak to hold a filling. A crown will hold the tooth together and prevent it from breaking again. If the fracture involves the nerve, Root Canal Therapy may be required before the tooth is crowned. In some cases, a broken tooth cannot be saved and must be extracted, as happened with the case in picture.

Sensitive teeth. Teeth that are very sensitive to hot and cold, either from a lot of "wear," or from receded gums, also sometimes require protective cover of crowns.

Root Canal Therapy. A tooth that has undergone Root Canal Therapy is more brittle than a tooth with a healthy nerve and blood supply. A crown may be needed to properly seal, support and protect the tooth.

In cosmetic dentistry,
crowns (sometimes called "caps") are used less frequently since the advent of veneers, but in some cases a crown may be necessary for a particular tooth. A tooth with a bad fracture or a large filling may be a candidate for a crowns and cosmetic bonding instead of a veneer, as seen in the pictures.

Crowns should last approximately 5-8 years. However, with good oral hygiene and supervision most crowns will last for a much longer period of time. Some damaging habits like grinding your teeth, chewing ice, or fingernail biting may cause this period of time to decrease significantly.

Bridges

A dental bridge is a mode of tooth replacement that anchors a false tooth between two surrounding teeth. Bridges replace missing teeth and offer not only support for the surrounding teeth but prevent them from moving or shifting in the mouth. It helps retain the integrity of the jaw and face structure. This method of tooth replacement eliminates aesthetic concerns associated with tooth loss and restores the function of your teeth is the primary concern. A bridge allows the dentist to replace lost teeth without the use of a denture or dental implant. The disadvantage is that the teeth next to the space have to be prepared in a similar way to a crown in order to accept the bridge.

A Permanent Bridge is permanently bonded in place, unlike a partial denture (sometimes called a removable bridge); patients cannot remove them. There are three main kinds of bridges. In a traditional bridge, the pontic ("false tooth") is fused between the two crowns of the abutment teeth on either side. In a Maryland bridge, a metal band (hidden from view) binds the pontic to the abutment teeth. A cantilever bridge is necessary when there is an abutment tooth on only one side of the pontic. Maryland bridges work best when the teeth are front teeth adjoining healthy teeth that do not have large fillings.

A Permanent Bridge is usually anchored to the teeth on both sides of the space from the missing tooth. This gives the bridge strong support. Brushing a bridge is no different than brushing natural teeth, but special flossing instructions are given to keep the bridge and surrounding tissue healthy.