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Crowns and Bridges

Crowns

A crown (often called a cap) covers the tooth and restores it to its original shape and size. Decay is removed and cleaned from the tooth and a highly accurate impression or mold is made of the prepared surface. This mold is used to create a model of the tooth that is then sent to a special laboratory that will create a gold or porcelain (tooth-colored) crown. The crown is then cemented onto the prepared surface of the tooth.

Crowns are incredibly strong because they are created in a laboratory. This protects and strengthens the remaining tooth structure. In the hands of a skilled dentist, a crown will fit almost perfectly onto the prepared surface of the tooth, reducing the size of the seam between the crown and the tooth. This precision helps keep decay from eventually occurring under the crown.

Crowns can be an efficient and timely treatment that will save you from more extensive procedures in the future. They should be placed before the tooth is so decayed that it may fracture. This can often help prevent the expense of root canal therapy at a later date. The timely placement of a crown can also prevent the possibility that a fractured tooth may need to be removed, requiring the expense of a bridge or implant to replace the missing tooth.
Bridges

A bridge is a single appliance that is generally attached to two teeth on each side of the space where a tooth is missing. An artificial tooth attached in the middle of the bridge fills in the gap where the missing tooth was. The teeth on either side of the gap are prepared for crowns and a highly accurate impression or mold is made of the prepared area. This mold is used to create a gold or porcelain (tooth-colored) bridge in a special laboratory. The bridge is then cemented onto the prepared surface of the teeth, effectively creating the appearance of a “new” tooth.

In some instances, a resin-bonded bridge may be used. In this case, the two teeth on each side of the gap are not prepared for crowns. Instead, the bridge consists of a false tooth with metal brackets on the back of each side of the gap. The brackets are attached to the backs of the real teeth on each side. Unlike dentures, a fixed bridge is never removed. It is stable in the mouth and works very similarly to natural teeth.

By filling the gap and stopping the movement of other teeth, a fixed bridge is an excellent investment. It provides better chewing ability, heads off jaw joint problems and saves money that would otherwise might be spent on future dental treatment.

In the event that the use of a fixed bridge is not feasible, the best alternative is a dental implant.