What are Dental Crowns & Bridges
Do you have an issue regarding the appearance of your smile? Is it a cosmetic issue, such as lost teeth, discolouration, cracks or decay?
Well, the good news is that teeth whitening is not the only cosmetic option available from Starbright Dental. Crowns and bridges can be the perfect option for solving issues that cannot be fixed by the simple tooth whitening process.
Read on to find out why!
What is a dental crown?
The dental crown is a permanent fixture that sits over the existing tooth, acting like a crown.
Crowns are used to increase the appearance of a cracked or decayed tooth. The crowns are made from porcelain or acrylic and correctly fitted to the tooth using x-ray imaging.
Before undergoing dental crown treatment, the dentist will examine your tooth to make sure you have sufficient bone quantity and quality to support the crown. The dentist takes an impression of your tooth to create a perfectly fitting crown; in the meantime, a temporary crown will be placed over your tooth.
Once the custom crown is made, the dentist will cement the crown into position.
Dental crowns are recommended in the following scenarios:
- Repair a worn out or fractured tooth
- Replace a decayed or fractured tooth, when there is not enough tooth to support a filling
- Cover extreme discolouration
- Prosthetic tooth for implants
- Anchor dental bridges down
What is a dental bridge?
In the case that there is one tooth or more missing, a dental bridge can be used to restore the function and appearance of the teeth. The gaps left by tooth loss can cause the other teeth to shift and become misaligned, which is why dental bridges are important.
There are three common types of bridges:
Fixed bridges
Fixed is the most common type of bridge that is made up of false teeth surrounded by dental crowns. The false teeth are the gap filler, while the dental crowns act as supports on either side of the false teeth.
Bonded bridges
Bridge without crowns, which is instead held in place by wings that attach to the backside of the supporting teeth to both sides.
Cantilever bridges
This bridge is useful when there is only an adjacent tooth to one side of the missing tooth you want to fix.
The general procedure is similar to that of the dental crown. The dentist will take impressions of your teeth to create correctly fitted fake teeth, and dental crowns for the adjacent teeth.
Benefits of dental crowns and bridges
Both these cosmetic options are used for restoring the function and beautiful look of your teeth which have been badly damaged or lost.
Benefits of crowns and bridges include:
- Restore your beautiful smile!
- Improve ability to chew and speak
The following applies to only the dental bridge:
- Maintain natural facial shape
- Prevent teeth from shifting positions
Are dental crowns or bridges painful?
No, generally speaking, both these cosmetic treatments are not painful and only incur minimal discomfort.
For a dental bridge, a local anaesthetic will be used to prepare the adjacent teeth that will be used for anchors.
There is usually little pain after treatment.
How long do results last?
Dental bridges and crowns can last between five to 15 years, depending on how well the patient looks after their oral health. Maintaining daily oral care and regular dental checkups can ensure longer lasting results of over ten years.
If you would like to find out more information on dental crowns and bridges, then ask our friendly team at Starbright Dental, located in Southport. To ask us any questions or to book in for an appointment, please click here.