Crowns
Why is a dental crown needed? A dental crown may be needed in the following situations:
- To protect a weak tooth (for instance, from decay) from breaking or to hold together parts of a cracked tooth
- To restore an already broken tooth or a tooth that has been severely worn down
- To cover and support a tooth with a large filling when there isn't a lot of tooth left
- To hold a dental bridge in place
- To cover misshapened or severely discolored teeth
- To cover a dental implant
- To make a cosmetic modification
While Porcelain Veneers are adequate in preventing further tooth damage and restoring smile cosmetics for milder cases, for some patients, dental crowns are the only viable option due to:
- Periodontal disease, which automatically disqualifies a patient from receiving porcelain veneers
- Substantial tooth decay and damage, requiring a fortified foundation around a tooth
- Tooth grinding or jaw clenching
- A patient desiring significant shape change
- A tooth having undergone a root canal
- A lack of adequate tooth structure for a dental composite filling
- The need of additional support for a Dental Bridge
Bridges
Dental bridges, as their name implies bridge the gap created by one or more missing teeth. A bridge is made up of two or more crowns for the teeth on either side of the gap and a false tooth/teeth in between. These false teeth are called pontics and can be made from gold, alloys, porcelain, or a combination of these materials. Dental bridges are supported by natural teeth or implants.
Bridges can:
- Restore your smile
- Restore the ability to properly chew and speak
- Maintain the shape of your face
- Distribute the forces in your bite properly by replacing missing teeth
- Prevent remaining teeth from drifting out of position