Crowns

When the size of a "filling" exceeds a certain proportion of the tooth, it must be replaced with a "cap," also called a "crown." 
Crowns, or caps for teeth, look and function just like natural teeth. Central Dental may recommend a crown if your tooth has enough decay that it cannot hold a filling, or if your tooth is cracked or broken and in danger of cracking down into the root if left unattended.  A crown covers your tooth completely.  It fits snugly at the gum and protects what remains of the natural tooth.

A crown can be made from a few different materials; full porcelain crown, porcelain fused-to-metal crown and the gold crown. When an individual treatment plan is designed for you and if crowns are part of that, your dentist will discuss with you which is the best material to be used for your circumstances.

 You may find that if you are suffering from one of the following conditions, a crown could be a suitable solution for you.

 1. A previously filled tooth where there now exists more filling than tooth. This will cause the existing tooth structure to become weaker and no longer support the remaining filling

 2. Extensive damage by decay

 3. Discolourations and an aesthetic appearance you are unhappy with

 4. Fractures in your teeth

 Constructing a crown requires two appointments. During your first visit, the tooth is prepared for the crown, an imprint is made of the tooth, and a provisional crown is placed over the prepared tooth. At the subsequent visit, the temporary crown is removed and the final crown is fitted and adjusted and cemented into place - simple!

 Bridge

 We may recommend a bridge be utilized to replace one or more teeth. These restorations are cemented onto the teeth and are referred to as "fixed" dentistry as opposed to a restoration of missing teeth with a removable denture.

A dental bridge is a false tooth, which is fused between two porcelain crowns to fill in the area left by a missing tooth. Two crowns hold the bridge in place and are bonded onto your natural teeth on each side of the false tooth. This is known as a bridge. This procedure is used to replace one or more missing teeth. Bridges are fixed and cannot be taken out of your mouth as you do with removable partial dentures.

After your mouth has been assessed, the appropriate diagnostic records and models taken, the required structure of the bridge is decided upon. Bridges are not removable and can be made from similar materials to crowns, metal or porcelain, or a combination of both. Crowns are used along with bridges, replacing the actual teeth while the bridge is acting as the frame to hold them in place. Bridges offer a functional way to replacing teeth and work hand in hand with crowns to achieve the best possible aesthetically pleasing effect.