subject: Dental Bridges Or Crowns Can Restore Your Perfect Smile [print this page] Thanks to advances in modern dental technology, your dentist today has a few different restorative options at his disposal to correct your dental problems. To deal with a chipped, broken or missing tooth, your dentist may decide to use either a dental crown or a dental bridge to repair the problem. In just a few short and simple appointments, your dentist will be able to fully restore your teeth and give you a smile you can be proud of again.
Dental Crowns
A dental crown is a tooth-shaped cap that is directly installed on top of a tooth to improve its size, strength, shape and/or appearance. Your dentist will use a crown to restore a broken, chipped or otherwise disfigured tooth. A crown is also used in combination with a dental implant to replace missing teeth. Once your dentist has decided that a dental crown is the best option for you, he or she will begin by anesthetizing the area and filing down your tooth. This will allow for the new crown to have enough room to fit in your mouth. After this, your dentist will take an impression of the area in order to create a crown that will fit in perfectly to your bite. This impression is then sent to a dental lab where it will usually take between two and three weeks for your permanent crown to be created. In between appointments, your dentist will provide you with a temporary crown to wear.
Once your permanent crown arrives, your dentist will do a final check to make sure the fit and coloring are completely correct. If they are, he or she will use a special cement to secure it in place. Once the crown is put in, it will both act and function as a normal tooth in your mouth. No one will be able to tell that the crown is not one of your natural teeth.
Dental Bridges
While crowns are used to restore a tooth that is chipped or broken, a dental bridge is utilized to replace a tooth that has been lost. A dental bridge is made up of an artificial replacement tooth that is held in place on either side by a dental crown. To put a bridge in, your dentist will begin by applying local anesthetic to the area and filing down the two teeth that will receive crowns. He or she will then take an impression of the area and send it off to a dental lab. Just like in a crown procedure, your dentist will provide you a temporary bridge to wear while you wait in between appointments. Once the permanent bridge arrives, your dentist will examine it and then cement it in place. A dental bridge generally lasts about 15 years but can last longer with the proper care.
To learn more about crowns and bridges or to schedule an appointment, contact your dentist in Little Rock, AR today.
