Crowns and Bridges

Have you ever been told you need a crown, a number of crowns or a permanent bridge? Crown and Bridge treatment will restore broken and decayed teeth, support remaining teeth and help you maintain optimum dental health. 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.

A crown, sometimes called a “cap”, is a replication of your tooth placed over a carefully prepared existing tooth. Crowns can serve multiple functions. It can support a tooth that no longer has a sufficient structure left to place a filing. Crowns can also be used to protect the structure of a tooth that is fractured or broken.

A bridge is a series of “crowns” anchored to neighboring teeth that replaces one or more missing teeth. When a lost tooth is replaced with bridge work, the teeth on either side of the missing one must be prepared as crowns to serve as abutments to hold the prosthetic (replacement teeth) in place.

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