What Are Crowns & Bridges?
A crown is a cap shaped like a tooth that is placed over a tooth, to restore its shape, size and strength, and also to improve the look of a tooth. There are many different materials used to make a crown. All crowns are fabricated so that they will look nearly identical to your original tooth that is being restored, and that the crown is going to fit in and match the surrounding teeth. The dentist will recommend the best materials and the process for your specific crown treatment. A couple of different types of crowns are:
Porcelain-fused-to-metal crown - these have great esthetics and are very strong. There are few circumstances where they may fracture or wear the opposing teeth.
All porcelain crowns - these have very nice esthetics and are really great for anterior teeth, they sometimes can fracture when used in the posterior teeth.
In all cases the dentist will decide an appropriate option from which to choose. Prepping for crowns takes two separate appointments. On the first visit the dentist will make sure that the tooth can support a crown and then will prep the tooth, by filing the tooth down. After the tooth has been filed down, the dentist will take an impression of the tooth that is being prepped for a crown and the surrounding tooth, and that impression will be sent to a lab. While you are waiting to come back for the second appointment to place the crown in your mouth, a temporary crown will be made and put over your prepped tooth. Once your crown comes back from the lab, your temporary crown will be removed and the permanent one will be placed on your tooth with a special adhesive. The crown may feel a little different at first, but before long the crown will feel and function just like a natural tooth.
Reasons for doing a crown
To protect a tooth from decay.
To cover a tooth that has a large filling (normally the tooth has no room left because the filling is too large).
To improve strength and longevity of a tooth following having a root canal done.
To restore a tooth that has been broken or a tooth that has been worn down.
To hold a dental bridge in place.
To restore a dental implant.
Aesthetic reason (Patient’s personal preference to improve their smile).
Crowns can also be used in primary teeth in the situations
If the primary tooth has severe decay and the tooth has been damaged so that it can longer support a filling.
They can be done for a child that is at high risk for tooth decay. In most cases the dentist will recommend doing a stainless-steel crown.
Caring for your crown, and what you may experience after having a crown placed
Normally a crown lasts five to eight years; however, properly caring for your crown can help to make it last much longer.
Once a crown has been placed in your mouth and the anesthesia has worn off, patients can experience some sensitivity and discomfort. If your tooth that has been crowned and it has not had a root canal you might experience some sensitivity to hot and cold. Sensitivity tooth pastes may be recommended for temporary use. If you notice pain while biting down on your crown, that may indicate that the crown in a little bit high and may need to have to the bite adjusted. You will want to avoid really hot or really cold foods and beverages for the first few days. You may also notice some discomfort in your gums and around your tooth. You can rinse with warm salt water, and also take some over the counter pain medications to help reduce discomfort.
After having a crown placed, you should avoid eating really hard and sticky foods, and ice that can break a porcelain crown. You will want to maintain good oral hygiene by brushing with a fluoride toothpaste, flossing and visiting the dentist for your routine exam and cleaning twice a year.
Sometimes crowns can have the porcelain chip off. Some of the small chips can be smoothed and you would not need to replace the crown. When major chips happen, then replacing the crown would be ideal.
Crowns can sometimes work their way loose, if your crown comes off let the dentist know so that the situation can be fixed, having bacteria leaking under a crown can cause decay on the tooth. Crowns can also come off if there is not enough tooth structure holding the crown on to the tooth, so replacing the crown and reshaping the tooth might be required.
Bridges
Bridges are a great way to replace your missing teeth. Your existing teeth will be used to create a bridge to cross the area where your teeth are missing. Bridges are from metal, alloy, or porcelain to make sure that they are strong and durable. The process of creating bridges begins by making your abutments out of your existing teeth where the bridge will be attached. The existing teeth will be recontoured so that they provide a base for the bridge. Once the abutments have been created, an impression is taken of the area which is sent to a dental lab. The lab uses the impression to make a mold which they use to create a bridge that will fit properly and should feel as close to your natural teeth as possible. The bridge will consist of two crowns on either end to place on the abutment teeth and a pontic, which is the new tooth that will replace your missing tooth.
After the teeth are prepped and we take the impression, we will fit temporary crowns over the abutment teeth while we wait for the lab to make your bridge. The temporaries will protect the abutment teeth and the exposed gum areas. When the permanent bridge has been made, you will have a follow-up appointment to put the bridge in place. The bridge will be placed on the abutments with an adhesive to make sure the bridge is set in place.
The bridge may take a little while for you to get used to, after a few days the bridge should feel like you have your own teeth back. You will want to eat softer foods for a couple of days after having the bridge put in place. After that, you should be able to whatever you want without having an issue.
If you are missing teeth, you should consider having it replaced. Besides the idea of missing a tooth, having a missing tooth can cause structural damage to your mouth and jaw. Missing teeth can also make it difficult to eat or speak properly.