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Crowns & Bridges
What is a Dental Crown?

    A crown is a tooth-shaped cover that is cemented onto an existing tooth or implant. It is used to cover a tooth that is broken, severely damaged or decayed, when a filling is not enough to hold the strength of the tooth.

What is a Dental Bridge?

    A bridge is a fixed prosthesis that is made to replace one or more missing teeth.

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    A traditional bridge is made by creating a crown for the teeth on either side of the missing tooth/teeth and placing false tooth/teeth between crowns.​

Why Do I Need a Dental Crown?

    You might need a dental crown procedure for one of several reasons: 

  • To protect a weak tooth or a tooth that had a root canal treatment from fracturing;

  • To restore a fractured tooth;

  • To cover a dental implant;

  • To replace a large filling when there isn't enough tooth remaining;

  • To cover a misshapen or badly discolored tooth;

  • To attach a bridge.

   

    Whatever the reason is, when a crown is placed, the damage will be corrected, which, consequently, prevents the need to have the tooth extracted. The crown acts as a cap over the tooth, providing you with all the protection, functionality and appearance of a healthy tooth.

Why Do I Need a Dental Crown?

    You might need a bridge for the following reasons:

  • To restore a missing tooth/teeth;

  • To prevent the complications that can occur after one or more teeth are lost, such as bad bite, gum disease and/or temporomandibular joint disorders (TMJ).

What to Expect/Dental Crown And Bridge Procedures

   After discussing the treatment with your dentist, you scheduled your appointment for a dental crown or bridge. The procedure for installing either a dental crown or a bridge normally takes two separate dentist visits. 

   

    The first visit is to examine and prepare the tooth or teeth that are to be crowned. Depending on your need, the tooth/teeth may need to be filed or filled to the proper shape. If you are placing the crown after a root canal treatment, most likely, your tooth needs to be filed and reshaped to allow room for the crown to be placed. On the other hand, if your tooth is severely damaged or broken, your dentist may need to fill it in so that the tooth can hold the crown.

    Either way, after the tooth/teeth has/have the proper shape, your dentist will take an impression of them and send it away to the dental lab. By the end of the first visit, a temporary crown will be placed onto your tooth to protect it until the final crown is ready.

   

    Once the dental lab has created the crown/bridge as closely as possible to the shape, size, and shade of your own tooth/teeth, you will have your second appointment. Sometimes, crowns and bridges need more polishing or some other adjustment before being placed. Once the dentist considers that the crown fits perfectly, the crown/bridge will be permanently cemented on your tooth/teeth.

After The Crown/Bridge

    After the placement of your dental crown or bridge, you shouldn’t feel any discomfort or sensitivity. However, if you feel pain when you bite down, contact your dentist as soon as possible so that the situation is evaluated and your problem solved. 

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    Your oral hygiene routine should not be affected by the placement of a crown or a bridge. In fact, maintaining a good oral hygiene by brushing and flossing will help your crown/bridge last longer.

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