What are crowns and bridges?
A crown is a prosthetic cap permanently sealed on top of your tooth. The dental team uses an impression of your mouth as a model for your crown, so it’s designed to fit snugly over your tooth in line with your bite. Once in place, your crown provides additional strength and support to your tooth while functioning just like a natural tooth.
A bridge, on the other hand, uses crowns to fully replace a missing tooth. The crowns are bonded to either side of a prosthetic tooth (pontic) and sealed to your abutment teeth. Once in place, the pontic bridges the empty space between your teeth, hence the name.
How can crowns and bridges improve my smile?
There are many reasons your dental provider might suggest a crown. Crowns are useful for:
- Restoring a damaged or decayed tooth
- Enhancing the appearance of a tooth
- Strengthening a tooth after a root canal
- Replacing large fillings
While a crown improves the condition of a natural tooth, a bridge replaces a tooth or multiple teeth that are missing from your smile. There are many advantages to replacing your missing teeth with a bridge, like more evenly distributed biting force, enhanced appearance, and an improvement in your ability to eat and speak.
What’s the process for getting crowns and bridges?
The first step in getting a crown or bridge is to prepare your teeth for the prosthetic. This involves removing some of the enamel. After your dentist has prepared your tooth or teeth, they use a dental mold or an intraoral camera to take a precise impression of your mouth.
Your impression is sent to a dental lab that uses it to design and fabricate your crown or bridge, taking great care to ensure your restoration fits perfectly. You wear a temporary crown or bridge while you’re waiting for your permanent one to be made, and come back for a second appointment when it’s ready.
At your second appointment, your dentist removes your temporary crown or bridge and seals the permanent restoration with dental cement. You leave the office with a stunning smile and improved oral health.
Schedule an appointment with Presidential Dental Group today by phone or book via the web to learn more about how crowns and bridges can improve your smile.
