Crowns
Crowns are synthetic caps, usually made of a material like porcelain, placed on the top of a tooth. Crowns are typically used to restore a tooth’s function and appearance. Also, if you have had a root canal, you will need a crown to protect the roots from fracture. When decay in a tooth has become so advanced that large portions of the tooth must be removed, crowns are often used to restore the tooth. Crowns are also used to attach bridges, cover implants, prevent a cracked tooth from becoming worse, or an existing filling is in jeopardy of becoming loose or dislocated. Crowns also serve an aesthetic use, and are applied when a discolored or stained tooth needs to be restored to its natural appearance. A tooth must usually be slightly reduced in size to accommodate a crown. We offer CAD-CAM crowns, cutting edge technology. Crowns can be made in one appointment! However, sometimes we need to take a traditional dental impression of the existing tooth and then send it to a special lab, which manufactures a custom-designed crown. In some cases, a temporary crown is applied until the permanent crown is ready. Permanent crowns are cemented in place.
Bridges
Bridges are natural-looking dental appliances that can replace a section of missing teeth. Because they are custom-made, bridges are barely noticeable and restore the natural contour of teeth as well as the proper bite relationship between upper and lower teeth. Bridges are sometimes referred to as fixed partial dentures, because they are permanent (“fixed” into place) and are bonded to existing teeth or implants. Porcelain, gold alloys or combinations of materials are usually used to make bridge appliances. Appliances called implant bridges are similar to natural teeth bridges; however, they are bonded to the implants.