Unfortunately, not all teeth can be restored with a simple filling. Crowns and bridges correct dental problems, enhance esthetics, replace missing teeth and offer the ultimate protection.
Dental crowns and bridges are custom made to fit over damaged teeth and allows more precise planning to restore a broken or missing tooth back to function. They are usually made out of a variety of different types of porcelain, but metal may be added to help add strength.
Dental Crowns
When there is a large amount of tooth structure missing from a tooth, there is always an increased difficulty in restoring it with a traditional filling. Because dental restorations require tooth structure to adhere and bond to, less tooth structure means less predictability of treatment and the shorter amount of time a filling may last. Crowns are used because they offer the ultimate protection, best esthetics and greatest chance of lasting long term.
Below are just a number of reasons why crowns may be used:
- severely decayed teeth
- teeth that require more protection after root canal treatment
- fractured or cracked teeth
- broken fillings or unattractive fillings
- To achieve the best esthetic outcome
Dental Bridges
Dental bridges are often used to replace missing teeth. They are one of three basic options to replace missing teeth (other options being a partial/complete denture and dental implants). Bridges are fixed to your teeth so they do not have to be removed at night. They offer the benefit of protection for the teeth they are attached to while at the same time replacing missing teeth.
Inlays/Onlays/Veneers
Sometimes a tooth may not require a full crown! At many dental offices, all broken down teeth are automatically drilled down, removing precious tooth structure, to make room for a crown BUT many times that’s not the best solution!
Inlays, onlays and veneers are the most conservative options for restoring a large portion of a tooth. They are done in order to conserve healthy tooth structure as opposed to a crown where a lot of tooth structure is drilled away in order to make room for the crown.
With our CEREC technology, inlays and onlays may also be completed in the same day.
What to Expect
For most cases, crowns and bridges take two appointments. A temporary crown or bridge will usually be used to protect your tooth after your initial appointment while a dental lab fabricates the restoration. The permanent crown or bridge is then delivered at the second appointment.
