Dental Crowns & Bridges
All of your teeth play an important role in speaking, chewing, and maintaining the proper alignment of other teeth. Tooth loss doesn’t necessarily have to occur as you age, but if you do lose teeth, they must be replaced to maintain the proper function of your mouth. Fortunately, there are options for repairing severely damaged teeth and correcting tooth loss. Dental crowns and bridges are two of the most common ways to repair or replace damaged or missing teeth.
Key Benefits of Dental Crowns & Bridges
- Restore or repair severely damaged or vulnerable teeth
- Replace missing teeth
- Offer support to misshapen teeth or badly broken teeth
- Look completely natural
- Fix “smile” and functional chewing problems
- Prevent shifting of remaining natural teeth
- Help support facial contours
What are the Capabilities of Dental Crowns and Bridges?
Many dental problems can be corrected using these techniques. The materials used for these restorations are typically high-grade porcelain, with gold restorations available upon request. High-strength materials are recommended for treating the most serious dental problems. Where accidental damage has resulted in lost teeth, or where teeth have broken away through excessive wear or due to old fillings breaking, dental crowns or bridges can be used as a long-term solution.
Many people have unexplained pain from filled back teeth, which is usually due to hairline cracks in the chewing part of the tooth. Placing crowns on these teeth relieves the pain and restores full dental function. In front teeth, older fillings can both weaken the teeth and cause “appearance” problems due to staining or chipping. Porcelain crowns and bridges are suitable in cases where porcelain veneers are not. In teeth with root canal fillings, crowns can prevent breakage.
Dental Crown Process
Traditional Crowns
For a traditional dental crown,Drs. Mark & Andrea Silverman first numbs the area, then carefully reshapes the tooth to make space for the crown. They take an impression or digital scan of the prepared tooth and send it to our dental lab, where your custom crown is made. While you wait for your permanent crown, we provide a temporary crown to protect your tooth.When your permanent crown is complete, we remove the temporary and cement the final restoration in place. We carefully evaluate the fit, bite, and contacts with neighboring teeth, making any necessary adjustments to ensure optimal comfort and function. After any adjustments are completed, the crown is polished to maintain its smooth, natural appearance.
Dental Bridge Process
There are two types of dental bridges available, depending on your individual needs and the number of teeth missing. Fixed bridges and removable bridges are both excellent options for replacing two or more missing teeth.
Fixed Bridge
A fixed bridge is placed using a process similar to a traditional dental crown. The teeth on either side of the missing tooth, called abutment teeth, are carefully prepared to support the bridge. Digital scans or impressions are then taken and sent to our dental laboratory, where your custom bridge is fabricated. While the final restoration is being made, a temporary bridge is placed to protect the prepared teeth and maintain your smile. Once the permanent bridge is ready, it is securely bonded into place. The process is very similar to receiving a crown, but involves multiple teeth and includes an artificial replacement tooth, known as a pontic, to fill the gap left by the missing tooth.
Drs. Mark & Andrea Silverman begin by taking digital scans or impressions of the mouth and sending the information to our dental lab. The artificial teeth are created and fused between two crowns at either end. We then attach the fixed bridge in place over the gap where teeth are missing by bonding the crowns to the natural teeth on either side. This type of bridge can only be removed by a dentist. The process typically requires two or three appointments.