Crowns/Bridges

Crowns and bridges are ceramic dental appliances used for both cosmetic and restorative purposes. Crowns are used to cover the entire surface of a tooth in the case of cracked, chipped, worn out, or weak teeth. Bridges are tooth prosthetics that are used to replace missing teeth. Both these restorations are made from tooth-colored ceramic, which is how they can be customized as required to match the appearance of the natural teeth.

Advantages of dental crowns

• Crowns can be used for several types of restorations.
• The aesthetics of a ceramic crown is excellent. Its texture, color, and transparency can be made to perfectly mimic that of the natural teeth.
• Crowns offer excellent durability. Their rate of wear is similar to that of the enamel.
• Crowns help to save teeth that are too weak to stay intact by themselves, such as in the case of root canal infected ones.
• The procedure for placing crowns is a simple one. In the case of same-day crowns, the procedure can be completed in a single visit to the dentist's office.

Advantages of bridges

• A dental bridge is one of the simplest means of restoring a missing tooth. It doesn’t require a surgical process or the use of anesthesia in certain cases.
• Since the bridge is made from dental-grade ceramic material, it would feel just like a natural tooth against the soft tissues of the mouth. Patients who get a bridge often say it feels just like they got their natural tooth back.
• A bridge will be held in place with the help of crowns on either side. This makes it highly stable and wouldn’t dislocate even when you bite and chew food.
• Bridges offer excellent durability and longevity.
• The prosthetic tooth restores the functionality of the mouth. It also prevents the drifting of the teeth as it perfectly fills in the gap left by the missing tooth.

Procedure

The procedures to place crowns and bridges are quite similar. During the initial screening process, we will take x-rays and scans of the oral cavity for analyzing the severity of damage and to determine the space available for placing the restoration. A thin layer of enamel will be removed from the teeth to make space for accommodating the ceramic restoration. Digital molds of the teeth will be taken using a hand-held scanning device and sent to a dental laboratory.

While the restorations are being fabricated, we may recommend a temporary restoration. Once the permanent one is available, we would remove the temporary ones and prepare the teeth. Etching solution will be used to roughen the tooth surfaces. Dental adhesives will be used to bond the restoration to the tooth, after which a curing light is used to harden it and secure the restoration firmly in place.

Call us at (925) 685-9339 or schedule an online appointment with us and we’ll be able to guide you further.