Crowns & Bridges
What are Crowns and Bridges?
Both dental restorations, dental crowns and most tooth bridges are fixed prosthetic apparatus. Unlike devices you can remove and clean daily, such as dentures, crowns and bridges get cemented onto your existing teeth or implants. Only a dentist can remove them. They’re designed to fit the natural shape and strength of your teeth.
How do Crowns Work?
A crown or a cap is a type of dental restoration that covers an exposed surface of the tooth. It helps to improve the tooth’s appearance or give it greater strength.
The dentist will choose a crown when the damaged tooth must be completely covered or capped. In addition to strengthening and fortifying a damaged tooth, the dentist uses a crown to improve the tooth’s appearance, alignment, or shape. Crowns can also get applied to the top of an implant to replicate the shape and structure of the tooth for function. Implant crowns are placed after the specialist finishes the implant.
Porcelain or ceramic crowns are often matched to the colour of the natural tooth or teeth. Other crown materials include acrylic or gold and metal alloys. Alloys are typically stronger than porcelain and are often recommended for teeth at the back of the mouth. A common practice is porcelain bonded to a metal shell because it is attractive, highly durable, and strong.
Your dentist may recommend a crown to:
Protect a weak tooth in danger of fracturing
Restore a fractured tooth
Replace a filling when there isn’t enough tooth remaining
Attach a bridge
Cover a discoloured or poorly shaped tooth
Cover a dental implant
Cover a tooth that has had root canal treatment
How do Bridges Work?
If you are missing one or more teeth, the dentist will often recommend a bridge to replace them. If gaps get left by missing teeth, the surrounding teeth can shift and rotate into those empty spaces. It often results in a poor bite. It is important to replace missing teeth as they can create an imbalance and can lead to other problems, such as gum disease and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders.
A bridge spans the space left by missing teeth. It’s cemented to the teeth or implants that surround the gap. The surrounding teeth, or abutments, anchor the bridge. An artificial replacement tooth, or pontic, is attached to the crowns attached to the abutments.
As with crowns, there is a choice of materials for a bridge. Your dentist can help you choose which is best based on the location in your mouth, the tooth’s function, aesthetic concerns, and the cost. Ceramic and porcelain bridges can be colour-matched to your natural teeth.
How are dental restorations made?
Before making the crown or bridge, the tooth (or teeth) gets reduced in size so that the restoration fits over it well. After making the tooth smaller, the dentist takes an impression to create an exact mould for the crown or bridge. If the choice is a porcelain restoration, your dentist will determine the correct colour shade for the appliance to ensure a good match to your existing teeth.
The impression is used by a dental lab to make your crown or bridge, in the material recommended by your dentist. A temporary fixture is applied to protect the prepared tooth while the permanent restoration gets made. When your permanent crown or bridge is ready, your dentist removes the temporary apparatus. The new crown or bridge is cemented over the prepared tooth (or teeth).
How many years can crowns and bridges last?
While they can last a lifetime, crowns and bridges can sometimes become loose or even fall out. To ensure the longevity of your restoration, whether bridge or crown, you need to practice good oral hygiene. It’s not unusual for a bridge to lose its support if the bone or teeth holding it in place have experienced damage due to dental disease. Brush with flouride toothpaste twice a day and floss daily to keep teeth and gums healthy. Additionally, make regular visits to your dentist and hygienist for checkups and professional cleanings.
To help protect your new crown or bridge, and to prevent any damage, avoid chewing hard foods such as candies, ice, and other hard items.