Crowns & Bridges

Crown and bridge treatment will restore lost teeth, support remaining teeth and help you maintain optimum dental health. If you’re faced with tooth loss, crown and bridge treatment may be the right restorative option for you. This long-term solution can help prevent the cycle of problems that can occur when just one tooth is missing, such as shifting of the remaining teeth, decay, periodontal disease and bone loss.

What is a Crown?

A crown – sometimes called a “cap” – is a tooth-like covering placed over a carefully prepared existing tooth. Used to strengthen, restore or improve the appearance of your natural tooth, a crown is placed on an individual tooth much like a thimble over your finger. In addition to being used to strengthen a tooth to accommodate the attachment of a fixed bridge, crowns serve many functions. One of the most common is to support the tooth when there is no longer sufficient tooth structure left to place a filling. Crowns may also be used to protect the structure of a tooth that is fractured or broken.

What is a Bridge and Why Are Crowns Involved?

A bridge is a custom device anchored to neighboring teeth that replaces one or more missing teeth. When a lost tooth is replaced with bridgework, the teeth on either side of the missing one must be prepared as crowns to serve as abutments to hold the prosthetic teeth in place. Crowns and bridges are most often made from superior materials such as semiprecious or precious metals, porcelain or a combination of metal fused to porcelain. Both appearance and function are considered when selecting the material most suitable for you.

Why is Crown and Bridge Treatment Necessary?

Losing a permanent tooth – whether it’s due to dental decay, periodontal disease, injury or accident – can cause many serious problems for your neighboring teeth. Because the support and chewing forces are altered, the remaining teeth may begin to shift. The opposing tooth above or below the lost tooth can begin to move up or down and out of socket, which can accelerate periodontal disease and further break down the bone structure. If the missing tooth is not replaced, more teeth may eventually be lost due to the improper forces exerted during chewing.

What are the Benefits of Crown and Bridge Treatment?

Crown and bridge treatment reverses the negative impact of missing teeth in a variety of ways:

Restores and maintains the natural bitePrevents unnatural stress on other teethKeeps opposing teeth in their proper placePrevents shifting and tilting of adjacent teeth Discourages further dental decay and periodontal disease

Enhances your smile, speech and chewing function