When there is damage to a person’s tooth due to trauma or extensive decay, we can use a crown to repair that tooth. When there is not enough tooth structure left to adequately support a composite restoration/filling, that is when a crown is recommended for support and coverage of that tooth. Crowns can be made of several materials, but the most common nowadays, is porcelain and ceramics that allow the crown to appear as a normal tooth. With proper maintenance, crowns can last a patient a very long time. A crown visit is usually two visits. We remove the decay/fracture and prepare the tooth and fit it with a temporary crown. Once the permanent crown is made at the laboratory, then the final crown is cemented at the second visit.
Maintaining proper oral hygiene and keeping up with routine checkups can help decrease your risk of losing a tooth. If you do lose a tooth, you have options to replace it. Those include bridges, dentures, or implants.
A bridge is a fixed device that is cemented in to replace missing teeth. A bridge attaches your permanent teeth by placing crowns on them and anchoring an artificial tooth (pontic) in between. Bridges are often made from porcelain or metal or a combination of both.
It is important to care for your bridge by brushing and flossing and keeping the surrounding teeth clean., as the bridge relies on the neighboring teeth for continued support.