What is a Dental Crown?
A dental crown is a tooth-like cap that is placed over a repaired tooth to strengthen its structure while restoring its appearance and functions. The crown is used to cover the visible part of the tooth – that lies above the gum line – as a means to correct the tooth’s shape, colour, contour and size.
When constructed from the porcelain material, a dental crown is a stable and extremely strong restoration that can be custom designed and fabricated to your unique specifications. The porcelain restoration is also known for its natural aesthetics and tooth-like properties, due to its ability to mimic the colour, shade and translucency of natural tooth enamel.
What is a Dental Bridge?
A dental bridge is used to restore single or multiple tooth loss. Depending on the location of the missing tooth, your restorative dentist will recommend the most appropriate type that suits the condition of your teeth, gums and mouth.
When a tooth loss condition has left a gap in your upper or lower arch, a dental bridge may help to fill the gap with a bridge-like device that holds the prosthetic tooth in position. The dental bridge relies on the natural teeth on each side of the gap for support and anchorage. A dental bridge may be cemented to your natural teeth or retained by implants as a permanent fixture.
What type of patients requires Crowns & Bridges?
Candidate for Dental Crowns
A dental crown is suitable for patients who wish to preserve the healthy parts of a natural tooth, strengthening it following repair work, to avoid extraction. Dental crowns can help to repair teeth that have been badly damaged by tooth decay, disease injury or trauma. While the tooth-like cap can help to reinforce the structural integrity of your tooth, it can also restore it back to its original size, shape or alignment.
Candidate for Dental Bridges
A dental bridge can help to replace one or more missing tooth. To be considered for the procedure, you must have sufficient remaining natural teeth that are strong enough to support the bridge.
Why choose Crowns & Bridges
A dental crown is a versatile restorative treatment that can be used to improve the appearance and function of teeth that are cracked, decayed or worn. Some of its common uses include:
- Protecting a repaired tooth cavity that is too big for fillings;
- Restore teeth worn down by grinding or clenching;
- Protect tooth after root canal treatment;
- Replace cracked, chipped, misaligned or broken tooth; and
- Restore teeth compromised by a lack of oral care, etc.
A dental bridge offers a great solution for filling in the gaps left by missing teeth. Common uses and benefits include:
- Improving your chewing efficiency by equally distributing forces in your bite;
- Preventing adjacent tooth from shifting toward the gap vacated by missing teeth;
- Propping up your facial features – including cheeks, jawbone and cheeks – to prevent a saggy countenance caused by missing teeth;
- Regaining your ability to eat and speak properly; and
- Correcting bad bites, etc.
Modern dental materials like porcelain and porcelain-fused metal (PFM) have made it possible for today’s Crown & Bridge restorations to be colour-matched to the shade of your natural teeth. They offer a permanent solution for repairing or replacing your teeth so that they look, feel, and function like your natural teeth.
Different types of Crowns & Bridges
Types of Dental Crowns
Dental crowns differ in terms of the types of materials you choose, which include: All-Porcelain; All-Metal; Porcelain Fused to Metal (PFM); or All-Ceramic. Metal crowns offer the most strength hence also the best form of protection from wear and tear. Although prized for their durability, a major drawback of Metal Crowns is their silvery colour that draws unnecessary attention to your mouth.
As an alternative, PFM restorations combine the aesthetic properties of Porcelain with the strong metallic sub-structure. However, they appear less flattering under certain lighting conditions. In this respect, All-Porcelain and All-Ceramic Crowns offer the best combination of robustness and aesthetic quality as they possess similar translucency to natural enamel, which hold up well under different lighting conditions.
Types of dental bridges
Constructed from a variety of materials, Dental Bridges may also be fabricated with a material of your preference. You may choose from metal, porcelain, alumina and zirconia. To make an informed decision regarding the most appropriate material for your specific case, please consult with our cosmetic dentist.
Dental Bridges may take different forms – the most common of which are:
Maryland Bridge (also known as a resin-bonded bridge): Typically used for front (anterior) teeth – as opposed to molar teeth that are used for high-pressure biting or chewing action. The Maryland Bridge features a wing-like framework that is attached to the prosthetic tooth and anchored onto the adjacent teeth on each side of the gap.
Fixed Bridge: Fills the missing tooth gap with an artificial tooth connected between two dental crowns. The cap-like dental crowns are then cemented onto the existing teeth found on both sides of the gap. While the prosthetic tooth fills the gap and blends seamlessly with other natural teeth, the adjacent teeth provide the necessary support for the bridge.
Cantilever Bridge: Has a similar structure to Fixed Bridge, except the Cantilever Bridge is only attached to a single existing tooth – instead of being connected to both adjacent teeth. This solution is mainly recommended in cases where one of the patient’s natural adjacent tooth – on either side of the gap – is not available for anchorage.
How Crowns & Bridges are made
At Harbourtown Dental, our highly experienced team of dentists and auxiliary staff are equipped with years of Crown & Bridge restorative expertise to ensure that you receive professional care from start to completion.
From teeth preparation to digital impression taking to the precise moulding and fitting process, our team of healthcare practitioners will spare no effort to deliver top-notch dentistry at every stage of your treatment. We will also help you to make an informed decision on the best selection of material and customise the shade of the restoration to suit your specific needs and preferences.