Dental Crowns and Bridges

Your Unique Dental Crown

A dental crown is a tooth-shaped “cap” that is placed over a tooth to restore its shape and size, strength, and improve its appearance. A crown, when cemented in place, fully encases the entire visible portion of a tooth at and above the gum line.

Problems Dental Crowns Solve

A dental crown solves problems related to severely damaged, decayed, or fractured teeth by restoring their strength, shape, and appearance. Crowns can also be used for misshapen teeth, to protect teeth after a root canal or with large fillings, and to stabilize a dental bridge.

A dental crown may be needed in these situations:

Benefits of a Crown

Dental crowns offer numerous benefits for tooth health and aesthetics, including:

Types of Dental Crowns Available

At Hamby Family Dental, we offer all-porcelain and porcelain-fused-to-metal options.

• All-Porcelain: These dental crowns provide a better natural color match than any other crown type and may be more suitable for people with metal allergies. These crowns are perfect for front and back teeth.
• Porcelain-Fused-To-Metal: These crowns can be color-matched to your adjacent teeth, unlike metallic crowns. However, more wear to the opposing teeth occurs with this crown type compared with metal or resin crowns.

Procedure for Applying a Dental Crown

Preparing a tooth for a crown usually requires two visits to our office:

1. The first step involves examining and preparing the tooth
2. The second visit involves the placement of the permanent crown

First Appointment: First, we reduce the size of your tooth to accommodate a crown, and then we create an impression to ensure we are getting the right size and shape. We send your unique impression to a lab, where it is created. We create a temporary crown and adhere it to protect the tooth. Then, we schedule the second appointment.

Second Appointment: In the follow-up appointment, we tweak the fit and cement your permanent crown in place.

Your Custom-Made Dental Bridge

Problems a Dental Bridge Solves

Dental bridges are used for these purposes:

• Restore Function: Bridges improve chewing and speaking abilities by replacing missing teeth.
• Maintain Oral Health: They prevent the remaining teeth from shifting out of position and reduce the risk of tooth decay and gum disease.
• Improve Aesthetics: Bridges restore the natural appearance of the smile by filling in gaps and replacing missing teeth.
• Protect Bone Health: When teeth are missing, the jawbone can lose density over time. Bridges help stimulate bone growth and prevent bone loss.
• Provide a Long-Term Solution: Dental bridges can last for many years with proper care.

Benefits of a Dental Bridge

Dental bridges provide numerous benefits by replacing missing teeth to restore chewing and speaking functions, prevent remaining teeth from shifting into the gap, maintain proper facial structure and bone density, and improve the aesthetic appearance of the smile.

• Restored Function: Bridges help restore your ability to chew and enjoy various foods comfortably and efficiently. Additionally, by filling the gap left by missing teeth, bridges can improve speech clarity.
• Prevents Tooth Shifting: They stabilize your bite by preventing neighboring teeth from shifting or tilting into the space of the missing tooth.
• Maintains Facial Structure: Bridges provide stimulation to the jawbone in the area of the missing tooth, which helps prevent bone loss and maintain the natural shape of your face.
• Reduces Jaw Strain: By restoring proper alignment and preventing teeth from shifting, bridges can help reduce jaw pain and strain.
• Restored Smile: Bridges are custom-made to match your natural teeth, creating a complete, natural-looking, and aesthetically pleasing smile.
• Increased Confidence: A restored smile can significantly boost self-confidence, allowing you to smile and socialize without hesitation.
• Long-Term Solution: A bridge provides a durable restoration. With proper care, dental bridges can be a long-lasting solution for tooth loss.

Procedure for Applying a Dental Bridge

Making and affixing a dental bridge involves these steps:

1. Consultation and Treatment Planning: Your first visit involves a consultation to discuss the treatment plan for your missing tooth/teeth. We will evaluate your oral health and determine the type of bridge that is best for you.
2. Preparing the Abutment Teeth: We will numb the area and reshape the teeth on either side of the gap to create room for the crowns that will anchor the bridge. This is a permanent and irreversible step.
3. Impressions and Temporary Bridge: Impressions or digital scans of your prepared teeth are taken and sent to a dental lab to be used to create your custom permanent bridge. A temporary bridge is placed to protect the prepared teeth and gums while you wait for the final bridge to be made.
4. Fabricating the Permanent Bridge: A dental lab uses the impressions to create the permanent bridge, which is custom-made to fit your mouth.
5. Placing the Permanent Bridge: On your next visit, the temporary bridge is removed. One of our cosmetic dentists checks the fit of the permanent bridge, makes any necessary adjustments to ensure it’s comfortable, and ensures the bite is correct. Then, we cement it securely in place.

Schedule an Appointment with Our Cosmetic Dentists Today

To request an appointment with our well-versed cosmetic dentists, please fill out the form below or contact us at (919) 552-2431.