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 Crowns and Bridges
Crowns
A crown is a permanent covering that fits over either a decayed, damaged, or cracked tooth. Multiple materials can be used for a crown: porcelain, gold, resin, or a mix of these. Porcelain generally has the most natural appearance.
This process generally consists of a minimum of 2 visits over a three week period:
- Numbing the tooth to remove the decay in or around it
- Re-sculpturing the tooth to provide an ideal fit for the crown
- Making an impression of your teeth in order to create a custom-made crown (usually takes 1-3 weeks)
- Making a temporary crown out of acrylic resin and fitting it onto the tooth during the interim period when the permanent custom-made crown is being created
- Applying the permanent crown (when received from the lab) by removing the temporary crown and fitting the permanent one onto the tooth
- After ensuring that the crown has the proper look and fit, our doctor cements it into place
Once the procedure is completed, proper dental hygiene, including daily brushing and flossing, is required to maintain healthy teeth, gums, and crowns. This helps in the prevention of gum disease. Given proper care, crowns can last for decades.
Bridges
A bridge is a dental device that fills a space that a tooth previously occupied. A bridge may be necessary to prevent:
- Shifting of the teeth that can lead to bite problems (occlusion), jaw problems, and periodontal disease
- Bridges safeguard the integrity of existing teeth and help maintain a healthy, vibrant smile
There are three main types of bridges:
- A Fixed Bridge is the most popular and consists of a filler tooth that is attached to two crowns, which fit over the existing teeth and hold the bridge in place
- The Maryland Bridge is commonly used to replace missing front teeth and consists of a filler that is attached to metal bands that are bonded to the abutment teeth. The metal bands consist of a white-colored composite resin that matches the existing tooth color
- The Cantilever Bridge is a fixed bridge that attaches to adjacent teeth on only one end. A typical three-unit cantilever bridge consists of two crowned teeth positioned next to each other on the same side of the missing tooth space. The filler tooth is then connected to the two crowned teeth, which extend into the missing tooth space or end
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