Crowns & Bridgework

Crowns and bridgework are the historical standards in dental restorations and are a process with which many people are familiar. For many years, these restorations were made entirely from precious metals (gold alloy, platinum, palladium) exposing a gold or silver tooth.

Those precious metals are still used in crown and bridgework, but today there is the added aesthetic of porcelain, which makes the restoration look and function like your natural teeth.

Porcelain crowns completely cover the exposed tooth structure down to the gum line. They are often used to repair teeth that have undergone root canal treatment or have broken down from decay or a fracture too extensive to be restored by a filling.

A porcelain crown is created in the laboratory, specially designed and crafted to fit perfectly and blend with your natural teeth. The shade of porcelain is carefully selected to match your surrounding teeth, making the crowns appear as natural as your unrestored teeth.

The materials used are a high noble (precious) metal interior (for strength) and a porcelain exterior (for cosmetics).

The strength of the material creates a crown that functions like a natural tooth. Once the crown is permanently cemented, chewing ability is like that of your natural teeth.

Having a customized crown made takes two or three appointments. The tooth is carefully prepared and impressions are taken to create a natural looking crown to fit your smile.

If you are missing more than one tooth in an area, a bridge may be an option. Bridgework is used to replace one tooth or multiple teeth. A series of crowns (called pontics) are crafted to replace the missing teeth. These are anchored to natural teeth (called abutments) on either end of the span. The materials used for creating a bridge are similar to those of a crown, allowing a custom shade of porcelain to match your surrounding teeth.

As with the crown, once the bridgework is permanently cemented you may again enjoy your favorite foods with confidence. Bridgework allows you to avoid that sunken-in appearance caused by missing teeth and stabilizes that area of the dental arch to give you a more youthful appearance, allowing you to smile once more with confidence.

If you have any questions about crown and bridgework or replacing old crowns and/or bridgework, please contact our office. We'll be happy to answer any questions you may have about these procedures as well as other procedures we offer.
 

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