Bridges And Crowns

Crowns and bridges

Crowns and bridges are those types of teeth restoration treatments which are used to replace missing teeth or parts of teeth, or both. These cannot be removed by the patient unlike dentures or aligners. They are made up of gold, acrylic resin, porcelain or a combination of all of these. They are designed to restore the function, strength and comfort of the natural teeth.

Crown

A crown is a metallic cap which covers and supports a single tooth and fully covers the visible area of the tooth. Crowns are needed in the following situations:

Protecting a tooth which is broken or fractured and cannot be corrected by other simpler dental corrections

Protecting the form and appearance of ugly looking tooth

Improving the form of previously treated teeth

Altering the shape, size of teeth for cosmetic purposes

Covering a dental implant

Holding a bridge at its place

Types of crowns used at Nagem Dental Centre

Porcelain fused to metal crowns (PFM): This is the most common type of crown used because it is both strong and aesthetic. The metal commonly used is gold alloy. Later porcelain is fused over the metal to hide the metal and match the patient’s other teeth

Emax crowns: It is a lithium desilicated ceramic crown that is known to be strong and durable for dental restorations. One of the best features of E-max crown is aesthetics. They are not as strong as PFM crowns and are usually used on anterior teeth. They perfectly match the existing teeth without compromising strength or durability. They are considered the most robust in the ceramic category

Zirconia: Zirconia crown is made from zirconia, which is a very strong metal and is often used in the human body such as for the making of artificial joints, due to its strength and durability and long lasting nature. Zirconia crowns last the longest out of all ceramic crowns. They have an attractive translucent colour so its presence remains hidden

Bridges

A bridge is used to replace one or more missing teeth in your mouth. It consists of the pontic (replacement of tooth/teeth which you are missing), and the retainers (two supporting teeth which are required at both sides to support the bridge).

Thus wearing a bridge prevents you from the very serious problems that are caused by missing tooth. Some of them are:

Interference with the aesthetics.

Inability to chew and speak properly

Remaining tooth becoming unstable which can change their positions and make your smile uglier

The empty places create regions which are prone to gum diseases and tooth decay

Pre-Requisites for the Bridge

Not all patients can opt for the wearing a bridge. Some conditions which hinder the possibility of bridgework are:

Already existing tooth decay and poor oral hygiene

Weakness of the teeth either from previous decay or fracture

A large number of teeth to be replaced

Procedure

It takes two or more visits to complete the bridge.

On your first visit you will be given a local anaesthetic to make the procedure comfortable. During this visit the supporting teeth which lie to either side of the missing tooth are prepared by shaping and reducing their size. This is done to make room for the retainers which will slide over each of the supporting teeth. These teeth also serve as holders for the pontic. Next an impression of the supporting teeth is made so that the bridge is custom fit

On the second visit the permanent bridge is placed and adjusted to ensure proper fit and function. If it is well adjusted, our dentist will permanently cement it into its proper place

There can be a third visit if the bridge received from the lab is not properly fit into your teeth. So the dentist takes a second impression and you are to visit the clinic for the third time

After the successful completion of this procedure you might feel some discomfort, mild pain in biting or sensitivity for a few days. This can be set right by taking the pain medications advised by the dentist

Post procedure suggestions

If the pain remains for more than a few days, consult your dentist again.

To ensure that your bridge has a long life you should take the following precautions:

Oral hygiene (proper brushing and flossing)

Proper diet

Health of the supporting teeth and gums

Quality of the material in the bridge (bridge can be full metal, porcelain, or porcelain fused to metal bridge).