subject: Crowns And Bridges- Natural-looking Dental Appliances For A Restored Smile [print this page] One or more missing teeth can have a significant effect on the appearance and functionality of your smile. Many people who are missing teeth are too self-conscious to smile. Additionally, tooth loss can lead to a variety of dental health problems including changes in your bite, shifting of your teeth, TMJ Disorder, speech impediments, an increased risk of periodontal disease and a greater chance for developing tooth decay. A dental crown is designed to save an existing tooth, while a dental bridge replaces missing teeth. Not only do these restorations improve your dental health, but dental crowns and bridges closely resemble your natural teeth. Both crowns and most bridges are fixed prosthetic devices.
Dental Crowns to Protect Damaged Teeth
When a tooth is heavily decayed, it is more likely to fracture and lose considerable tooth substance. The greater risk is that a fracture line may go below the margin of the gum which makes restoration more difficult or near impossible. Dental crowns are synthetic caps, usually made of tooth-colored porcelain, placed on the top of a tooth to improve function and appearance.
Crowns can also be used to attach bridges, cover implants, prevent a cracked tooth from becoming worse, or to restore an existing filling is in jeopardy of becoming loose or dislocated. In addition, crowns can serve an aesthetic use, and are applied when a discolored or stained tooth needs to be restored to its natural appearance.
Dental Bridges Close the Gap from Missing Teeth
Dental bridges are natural-looking dental appliances that can replace a section of missing teeth. Since they are custom made, bridges are barely noticeable and can restore the natural contour of your teeth as well as the proper bite relationship between upper and lower teeth. A bridge may be recommended if you are missing one or more teeth. Gaps left behind by missing teeth will eventually cause the remaining teeth to rotate or shift into the empty spaces, resulting in a bad bite. The imbalance that is caused by missing teeth can also lead to gum disease and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders.
Crown Lengthening for a Better Fit
For those who have "gummy" smiles, crown lengthening can help alter a smile that has too little teeth and too much gums. Crown lengthening is performed to reshape gums and bone tissue. This is done to expose more of the teeth underneath your gums. In some cases, dentists perform crown lengthening as part of a more complex procedure that entails bridge and crown work. For instance, a tooth may need to be lengthened to make a bridge or crown procedure more effective.
This can happen when a tooth breaks off at the gum line. It also can happen when a crown or filling falls out of a tooth and there is decay underneath. To place a filling or crown, your dentist needs to expose more of the tooth, which is completed by removing some gum tissue or bone. Crown lengthening is performed using local anesthesia. How long it takes to complete depends on the number of teeth that need treatment. Even if only one tooth is involved, crown lengthening typically includes neighboring teeth, too.
If you have damaged or missing teeth, it is recommended that you visit your Lubbock dentist for further consultation on the best procedure for restoration. Dental crowns and bridges are not for everyone, but making a visit to your dentist the first step to fully restoring your smile.
