Crown and Bridge

Crowns

Crowns completely cover a tooth in instances when there is a discoloration, or a misshaped tooth.  They are also used to protect a weak tooth and to restore a broken tooth.  They are used to cover a tooth with a large filling, hold a dental bridge in place and are use to cap off a tooth at the end of a root canal procedure.  Crowns are made of metal, porcelain fused to metal, resin or ceramic materials.  In preparation for the permanent placement of the crown, we would prepare the tooth by taking impressions, send the impression to the lab where the crown is custom made, place a temporary crown in the meantime and schedule the permanent crown procedure for a separate appointment.

Bridges

Bridges are used to replace missing teeth with artificial teeth.  They are sometimes referred to as a fixed partial denture.  Bridges are made of different materials.  They can contain gold, alloys, porcelain or a combination.  They are anchored to adjacent teeth that are prepared for the crown procedure.  A false tooth is affixed to the crowns and the bridge is cemented on to the prepared teeth.