Dental Bridges and Dental Crowns. Teeth grinding, dull aches, tooth decay, cracked teeth, and tooth sensitivity can result in chewing problems later on. At Harris Dental Boutique, we offer crown and bridge dental treatments for patients to restore both the appearance and function of damaged teeth.
Crowns and bridges are like replacement parts for your teeth and, once in place, they’re there for a long time. By replacing natural teeth, bridges and crowns help to maintain the balance between the jaws when chewing food, allowing you to maintain a normal, healthy diet throughout life.
Dental bridges and crowns are different to dentures (or false teeth) in that you can’t take them out and clean daily because they are cemented onto existing teeth or implants, and can only be removed by a dentist.
A crown can be used to cover or “cap” a damaged or broken tooth. Once it is in place it looks like a natural tooth, is strong and restores your ability to chew.
Crowns can be made of porcelain or ceramic material which can be matched to the colour of your natural teeth. Sometimes gold and metal alloys, acrylic and ceramic will be used and we will always recommend the type of crown we think will do the best job for you and your teeth.
Generally, Dr Linc will recommend a crown to:
Replace a large filling when there isn’t enough tooth remaining
Protect a weak tooth from breaking
Restore a broken tooth
Attach a bridge too
Cover a dental implant
Cover a discoloured or poorly shaped tooth
Cover a tooth that has had root canal treatment
A bridge can replace one or more missing teeth because it does exactly as the name suggests, span the space where the teeth are missing. The bridge is cemented to the natural teeth on either side of the empty space and they serve as anchors for the bridge. Each of those teeth is covered with a crown and the replacement tooth or teeth are attached to those crowns.
Similar to crowns, there are a choice of materials for bridges and we’ll help you decide what is best for you taking into account its location and function, how you want it to look, and most importantly, the cost. Of course, individual results will vary.
The reason for bridges is simple. When you are missing one or more teeth a bridge may be indicated because the gap can eventually cause the remaining teeth to drift or fall into the empty spaces. That would give you problems with your bite. Dental bridges will ensure that you can regain your chewing and give you a confident, healthy smile.
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