Crowns are a cosmetic restoration used to strengthen a tooth that has been weakened due to decay, fractures, or large existing fillings. Crowns are most often used for teeth that are broken, worn, or partially destroyed by tooth decay.
Crowns are “cemented” onto an existing tooth and fully cover the portion of your tooth above the gum line. In effect, the crown becomes your tooth’s new outer surface. Crowns can be made of porcelain, zirconia, metal, or a combination. Porcelain crowns are most often preferred because they mimic the color and translucency of natural teeth and are very strong. Dr. Keisha will discuss the treatment options that will give you the best results.
Crowns are needed when there is insufficient tooth strength remaining to hold a filling. Unlike fillings, which apply the restorative material directly into your mouth, a crown is fabricated away from your mouth. Your crown is created in a lab from your unique tooth impression.
If you have missing teeth, a bridge may be used to replace them. Bridges will replace the missing tooth, only if you have surrounding teeth on either side of the missing area.
Using a lab created restoration, a bridge fills in the spaces of missing teeth, and creates a natural result. Your bridge can be made out of gold, alloys, porcelain, zirconia or a combination of these materials, and is cemented onto the surrounding teeth for support.
The success of any bridge depends on its foundation – the other teeth, gums, or bone it is attached to. Therefore, it is very important to keep your neighboring teeth, gums, and jaw bone healthy and strong.
Both crowns and bridges are custom made for each individual patient. When you need restorative dentistry to repair your smile contact Aurentz Family Dental.