Dental Crowns and Bridges
A dental crown, also known as a cap, is a dental remodeling that covers your tooth with new foreign material. Crowns are generally made from metal, composite resin, porcelain, or a combination of them. Provided the right material is used, crowns resemble natural teeth. Each crown covers a single tooth.
A bridge is a partial denture. This porcelain bridge uses functional teeth (called retainers) as anchors on both sides of the artificial teeth. The bridge is bonded to the anchors using Zinc Polycarboxylate cement. This provides extra support and helps in improving the lifetime of the bridge. Bridges can cover up more than one tooth. They are made using the same material as crowns.
Who Can Choose Dental Crowns and Bridges?
- If you suffer from deep tooth decay, filling your tooth is not possible after decay removal. A crown is a perfect fit for you in such cases. You can also go for a crown if you have tooth sensitivity due to cold and pressure.
- If you have more than one tooth missing and you want a permanent solution to it, bridges are always better than removable dentures.
- If your tooth has been treated for root canal infection, covering the tooth with a crown protects it from becoming brittle.
What are the Steps in the Procedure?
Crowns
In the preliminary visit, an x-ray of the tooth is taken, and an outline of the tooth is drawn out. The damaged tooth is reshaped into a smaller size on the second visit. In the third appointment, any decay is removed from the tooth, maintaining its original shape. The crown, prepared in a dental lab, is now adjusted over the tooth as a cover.
Bridges
In the first visit to our dentist, the topmost layers of the tooth are removed for the crown to fit easily. Impressions of the tooth are taken. While the original bridge is prepared in a dental lab, a temporary bridge is placed that protects the exposed surfaces of the tooth.
In the next appointment with our dentist, the temporary bridge is removed, and the permanent bridge is placed.
Advantages of Bridges and Crowns
- Crowns improve the appearance of damaged or filled teeth by making them look natural
- They help you to eat with ease
- They do not allow adjoining teeth to shift, retaining them in their place
- They reduce sensitivity from malfunctioning teeth
Please reach out to our dental practice in Railroad Ave Plains, MT, to have a consultation with our dentists. Please call us at (406) 215-4705 or schedule an online consultation, and we'll guide you further.
