subject: Restore Your Smile With Dental Crowns And Bridges [print this page] In the past, if you chipped, broke or lost a tooth, your dentist would have to fit you with dentures to restore your smile. Today, after decades of advances in dentistry, there are a variety of options available to you to fix your smile after breaking or losing a tooth. Dental crowns and bridges are among the most popular methods dentists use for tooth restorations. In just two appointments, your dentist will be able to give you a long lasting restoration that will fully restore the appearance and functionality of your smile.
Dental Crowns
A dental crown is a tooth-shaped cap that is cemented on top of your tooth to restore its appearance, strength and size. Dental crowns are among the most popular dental procedures that are offered today. They can be used to fix teeth that have been chipped, hold a dental bridge in place, protect a weak tooth or cover a discolored tooth. Crowns can be made out of porcelain, ceramic or metal depending on which tooth you are restoring with a crown.
Once you and your dentist have decided that a crown is the treatment that you need, he or she will begin the process by anesthetizing your tooth and surrounding area and filing down your tooth to make room for the crown to fit in your mouth. After this, your dentist will take an impression of your tooth and send it to a dental lab where your permanent crown will be fashioned. For the two to three weeks in between appointments, you will wear a temporary crown that your dentist will install during your first appointment. When your permanent crown arrives, your dentist will remove the temporary crown and check the fit and coloring of your permanent crown. If everything is acceptable, he or she will cement the crown in place and you will be free to walk out of the office and begin enjoying your new crown.
Dental Bridges
Where crowns are designed to fix broken or chipped teeth usually, a dental bridge is used to replace missing teeth. A bridge is a replacement tooth or teeth that are anchored on both sides by two dental crowns. Like crowns, dental bridges generally take two appointments to get installed. The first appointment consists of your dentist preparing the two crowns that will anchor the bridge. After filing down the teeth, he or she will take impressions and send them to the lab. For the two weeks in between appointments, you will wear a temporary bridge to fill the gap in your teeth. At the second appointment, your dentist will replace your temporary bridge with your permanent one.
To learn more about crowns and bridges or to schedule an appointment, contact your Waterford dentist today.
