Dental issues like tooth decay, damage, and missing teeth can lower self-esteem and affect appearance. However, Modern dentistry can address these issues through restorative solutions to enhance your smile. The two prominent solutions include Dental Crowns and Dental Bridges. This blog will explore how the Dental Crown and Bridge procedures work.
Dental Crowns
Dental crowns are custom-made restorations that cover damaged, decayed and weakened teeth. They are also called dental caps and are fitted for several purposes.
Protection: Crowns aid as protection to damaged and weak teeth by preventing further deterioration.
Restoration: they restore the appearance and function of a healthy tooth. Crowns resemble natural teeth in shape and size.
Strength: Crowns enhance the strength and durability of a compromised tooth, allowing you to chew and bite with confidence.
The Dental Crown Procedure
The dental crown procedure takes place in six steps.
Assessment: Our Maple Ridge dentists will determine if dental crowns are the right option. X-rays may be taken at this stage to assess the extent of damage.
Preparation: To fit the Crown correctly over the tooth, our dentist will prepare the tooth by removing any decayed or damaged parts.
Impression: The next step is to take an impression of the prepared tooth. This impression is used to craft a custom crown that matches your natural teeth’ colour, shape, and size.
Temporary Crown: The impression is fabricated in the dental lab. During this time, a temporary crown is fitted over the prepared tooth to protect it.
Fitting and Adjustment: The temporary Crown is replaced with the permanent one, and adjustments are made to ensure a proper fit.
Cementation: Finally, the permanent Crown is cemented, and any final polishing is done to match your natural teeth.
Dental Bridges
Dental bridges replace several missing teeth and comprise one or more artificial teeth called pontics. These are held in place by dental crowns on adjacent healthy teeth or dental implants that replace a missing tooth and are used for several purposes.
Replace Missing Teeth: Dental Bridges fill the gaps left by missing teeth, restoring your ability to chew and speak properly.
Maintain Tooth Alignment: Adjacent teeth tend to shift due to the gaps left by the missing teeth. Dental bridges help ensure the alignment of your natural teeth.
Enhance Appearance: Bridges improve the aesthetics of your smile by replacing missing teeth with natural-looking artificial teeth.
The Dental Bridge Procedure
The process of getting a dental bridge involves several stages:
Initial Consultation: This consists of evaluating your oral health and assessing if a dental bridge suits you.
Tooth Preparation: If dental crowns are needed to support the bridge, the adjacent teeth are prepared similarly to the dental crown procedure.
Impression: Just like dental crowns, impressions are taken to create custom pontics and crowns that match your natural teeth.
Temporary Bridge: In the meantime, a temporary bridge may be placed over your prepared teeth to protect and maintain your appearance.
Fitting and Adjustment: Once the permanent bridge is ready, it is fitted and adjusted to ensure a comfortable fit and proper bite.
Cementation: We cement the bridge, securely anchoring the crowns on the prepared teeth or dental implants.
Benefits of the Dental Crown and Bridge Procedure
The Dental Crown and Bridge Procedure offers numerous advantages:
Improved Functionality: Restored and replaced missing teeth, improving chewing and speech.
Enhanced Aesthetics: Crowns and bridges are designed to look like natural teeth, improving the appearance of your smile.
Durability: These restorations are long-lasting and can withstand the pressures of daily use.
Preservation of Tooth Alignment: Bridges help maintain the alignment of your natural teeth by preventing adjacent teeth from shifting.
Boosted Confidence: A complete and healthy smile can boost self-confidence and well-being.
Find out if Dental Crowns or Bridges are the right option for you
The Dental Crown and Bridge Procedures is an effective dental solution for restoring damaged and replacing missing teeth. Whether you require dental crowns to protect and strengthen your natural teeth or a dental bridge to fill gaps and restore your smile, this procedure can help restore your confidence.
Consult our Maple Ridge dentist to determine if the Dental Crown and Bridge Procedure suits your dental needs.