Crown and Bridge
Crowns and Bridges repair structural issues due to the loss of natural teeth, missing teeth, or abnormal misaligned bite. They are custom structures that restores the tooth back to its original form. A crown covers a single tooth and bridges are 3 or more teeth that are fused together to replace one or more missing teeth.
A crown may be made from porcelain, porcelain fused to metal, or gold and it covers the existing tooth to protect and restore it to its original shape and size. A crown may be recommended to you when the roots of the tooth are still healthy and there is enough of the tooth structure to rebuild the tooth by use of a crown. There are many reasons why a crown is the best choice for a tooth, such as, if your tooth has a large amount of decay present, or a large failing restoration that has resulted in the tooth breaking down, or fracturing. Another common reason for a crown is when a tooth has been treated by root canal. A root canal can leave the tooth structured weakened and brittle, so a crown is recommended to protect the tooth.
A crown is completed in two visits. The first visit is the longer of the two. We will prepare and shape the tooth and remove any decay if necessary. We will then take impressions and fit you with a temporary crown. These impressions are sent to the lab to have your custom crown made within 2-3 weeks. Once the custom crown is ready we will see you for the second appointment to remove the temporary crown and cement your permanent custom crown.
A bridge may be made from porcelain and is a custom structure that bonds to the adjacent teeth to replace one or more missing teeth.
A bridge procedure is similar to a crown procedure in that when a missing tooth is replaced, both neighboring teeth are prepped as crowns to hold the artificial porcelain tooth in place. A bridge is typically recommended to replace a missing tooth and hold remaining teeth in position, otherwise they may drift into the open space and cause teeth to mal-align.
A bridge also requires two appointments consisting of the preparation, impressions, temporary crowns and a second appointment to cement the permanent structure.