A crown or bridge can restore function, aesthetics, and health to damaged, diseased, or missing teeth. Crowns and bridges can provide patients with a natural-looking smile.

What Is a Crown?

A dental crown is a tooth-shaped “cap” placed over a tooth to cover it. It can help restore a tooth’s size, shape, strength, appearance, and alignment.

A crown can be made from porcelain, metal, or a combination of these materials. These restorations are used to cover a chipped, cracked, or decayed tooth. They are also used to cover a dental implant or protect a tooth after root canal therapy.

How Is a Crown Placed?

Before a crown is placed, the tooth is prepared. If any decay is present, it will be
removed and prepped for the crown. The dentist will then take an impression of the tooth and place a temporary crown.

A dental lab will use the impression to make a custom crown for your tooth. After the crown is ready, the dentist will permanently cement it in place.

What Is a Bridge?

A dental bridge is a type of dental restoration that provides a natural-looking replacement for one or more missing teeth. A dental bridge will fill the gap in your smile by anchoring a false tooth between two healthy teeth. A bridge can be made from either porcelain fused to metal or ceramics.

During your consultation, our dentist will go over the different types of bridges available and help you determine which one is right for you.

How Is a Bridge Placed?

To prepare a tooth for a dental bridge, the dentist will make impressions of the teeth on either side of the gap. Those impressions are used to make a custom bridge that will be cemented in place. The bridge is anchored on either side by dental crowns.

The false teeth or pontics are then attached to the crowns, and they fill the space of the missing tooth/teeth. In order to create space for the pontics, the abutment teeth need to be recontoured.

What Are the Benefits of Dental Crowns and Bridges?

Both dental crowns and bridges are custom-made to fit comfortably and restore the natural shape, size, and appearance of your smile. They look more natural than other restorations.

These restorations are also designed to match the color of surrounding teeth, so they are not noticeable. Plus, crowns and bridges are stain-resistant, so they will not discolor or stain over time.