Crowns and Bridges

Crowns

Crowns are usually made of a non precious metal covered in porcelain, which is then placed on the top of a prepared tooth.

Crowns are typically used to cover a heavily filled or broken tooth as well as to provide strength after a root canal treatment.

Crowns are also used to attach bridges, cover implants, they can also have an aesthetic use to cover stained or chipped teeth.

Bridges

If you are missing one or several teeth a bridge is an alternative to dentures.

Bridges are natural-looking artificial tooth that can replace a section of missing teeth. Because they are custom-made, bridges are barely noticeable and can restore the natural contour of teeth as well as the proper bite relationship between upper and lower teeth.

A combination of porcelain and gold alloy materials is usually used to make a bridge.

It is important to replace missing teeth to prevent stresses on other teeth and the shifting of adjacent teeth.

Procedures

After numbing the area the tooth is shaped using a drill then an impression is taken (the impression is sent to the laboratory for processing). Once the tooth is prepared a temporary crown is placed over the tooth to protect it until the final crwon is inserted approximately 2 weeks later.

The temporary crown is not as strong as the final crown so therefore chewing on the opposite side is recommended.

At the next appointment the temporary crown is removed and the final crown is cemented in place.

If the tooth is vital (live) there may be some sensitivity until the final crown is inserted.

Preparation for a bridge requires the above procedure to be done on the tooth either side of the gap. A temporary bridge is made to fill the gap until the final bridge is cemented about 2 weeks later.

Care For Your Crown/Bridge

It is very important to floss around the crown with dental tape to keep the area free of plaque and debris. The area under the bridge needs to be cleaned with Super Floss.

Sticky lollies and hard foods should be avoided as they can dislodge the crown and even damage it.