Crowns and bridges are commonly used to restore damaged or lost tooth structure, or decayed teeth. They can help bring back the natural look of your smile, especially with today’s esthetic materials available. When teeth have more filling than tooth, or if there is damage that has resulted from decay, or a fracture, it weakens the tooth and a crown is often placed to save the tooth. This is especially common after a root canal therapy is done, or trauma to the tooth. A crown can cover the entire tooth above the gum line, and give patients the look and feel of a natural tooth. There are also partial crowns and on lays that can be done to preserve more tooth structure when a portion of the tooth is still intact.

Years ago, we used to refer to the front crowns as “caps”, but essentially they are the same thing. Crowns can be made of gold or porcelain, or a combination of metal and gold.

What Are Bridges?

These are dental prosthetic appliances used to replace one or more missing teeth. They are fixed on to the teeth and allow the teeth to function properly. They also help make the teeth look natural, and the smile looks pleasing, without the gaps caused by missing teeth.

A dental bridge serves as a permanent replacement for missing or damaged teeth. These restorations, typically three or more teeth long, are bonded (or cemented) onto the adjacent natural teeth and are referred to as a FIXED BRIDGE. Replacing a missing tooth can help maintain the bite, support the lips and cheeks, improve esthetics, and help with both speech and chewing. In addition, it can stabilize the adjacent and opposing teeth from tilting into a space created by a missing tooth. This can lessen the chances for gum disease to occur due to tilting or moving teeth. With proper care, a dental bridge should give you many years of use.

Why Is Porcelain or Ceramic Used In Tooth Coloured Bridges?

Ceramic or porcelain is a long-lasting and strong material that is used to fabricate bridges. It mimics the natural colour of teeth. It also can be moulded to take the shape of the tooth or teeth it replaces, making it an ideal and aesthetic tooth replacement material.

Do I Need Dental Crowns or Bridges?

Dental capping or crown placement with metal or porcelain crowns is often required after root canal therapy or fillings, to strengthen a tooth and prevent it from fracturing. Metal or tooth-coloured (porcelain) crowns or bridges are the right choices for you if -

• You have missing teeth lost due to dental trauma.
• You have lost a few teeth due to dental caries or tooth decay.
• You have broken down teeth due to decay or injury.
• Your teeth are discoloured, and you wish to cover them.
• You have had root canal therapy in a few teeth and need a cap over them.
• You need to cover dental implants placed in missing tooth areas.
• You do not want a removable replacement of the missing teeth, in the form of a removable partial denture.

What are The Benefits of Tooth Crowns and Bridges?

Missing teeth cause a loss of function and poor appearance of your smile. A metal or porcelain bridge helps in the following ways:

• By covering a broken down or missing tooth/teeth.
• By restoring a natural appearance to the teeth and smile
• By filling the spaces where teeth are lost.
• Helps to restore normal chewing function and
• Prevents unusual tooth movements into the gaps where teeth are absent.
• Provides a customized approach - Metal or Porcelain bridges can be customized to suit the colour of the teeth in the mouth, and this gives the replaced teeth a natural tooth-like appearance.

What are the steps of the Tooth Capping or Bridge Procedure?

The placement of bridges usually takes two visits:

• In the initial visit, a precise measurement of the teeth adjacent to the missing teeth is recorded. A temporary crown is placed for the interim. The measurements are then sent to the dental laboratory for fabrication of the bridges.
• The second visit involves removal of the temporary crown, and placement of the porcelain bridge on to the teeth using dental cement.