esthetic crowns & bridges : )

CROWNS
Crowns are used to
- support and protect weak teeth from fracturing
- support and protect root canal treated tooth from fracture
- restore fractured teeth, or
- cover poorly shaped or discolored teeth.

Procedure:
The tooth is reduced and shaped so the crown can fit over it. An impression of prepared tooth is taken and sent to the lab for crown fabrication. A temporary crown is fitted over the prepared tooth until the permanent crown is fabricated. On your next visit, the temporary crown is removed and replaced with the permanent crown that is cemented onto the tooth.

Crowns are typically made from various materials including plastics, porcelains and metals or combinations of these.

To prevent damage or fracture of the crown, we advise caution
- to avoid chewing hard foods, ice or other hard objects
- to avoid teeth grinding/clenching.

Along with regular dental visits and brushing twice a day, flossing is important to remove plaque from the crown area where the gum meets the tooth. Plaque in that area can cause dental decay and gum disease.

BRIDGE
Unrestorable destruction from decay, fracture, bone loss, or untreatable infection makes it necessary for an undesirable removal of tooth. Crowns and Bridges restore and replace these missing teeth.

Why must one replace missing teeth ?
Leaving an empty space unattended and untreated after a tooth lose could result in

- migration or super eruption of remaining teeth (super eruption is a tooth erupting into empty space in the opposite jaw)
- bite collapse (the jaw closes farther than it should as migrating teeth no longer give proper support)
- an increased chance of fracture due to excessive force on the remaining teeth
- periodontal gum pockets ensuing into accelerated bone loss
- pain in the jaw joint due to improper bite
(you may have come across the term TMJ, the Temporomandibular Joint).

The longer the time taken to replace missing teeth, the more complex the treatment may become. Dramatic tipping, shifting or super eruption of teeth may require orthodontic braces to be straightened. Replacing missing teeth can be accomplished by implants, bridges or partial dentures. Loss of all teeth require full dentures or implants.

What is a Bridge?
A bridge is a permanent replacement for missing teeth which cannot be removed by the patient. Teeth on either sides of a space (missing tooth) are preppared so that they can receive crowns.

Teeth are reduced and shaped to fit a crown over them. Crowns are joined together to replace the missing teeth and cover the prepared teeth on either side providing support of the replacement.

A bridge would last if there is enough strength to support the replacement teeth. Thus, there should be as many teeth providing support as there are being replaced. The type of bridge needed is further determined by careful evaluation of bone loss, size and shape of the root structure,the force which will be generated on the bridge and the strength of the remaining tooth structure.