Crowns & Bridges

There is often confusion in regard as to what the difference is between crowns and bridges and dentures. The difference is quite simple; crowns and bridges are prosthetics that are fixed and dentures are removable. The only way to remove crowns and bridges are by having your dentist remove them whereas dentures can be taken out and put in anytime you please. That’s the major difference. The thing that they all have in common is that they are used to replace a missing or damaged tooth for both health and aesthetic reasons.

To be more specific, crowns are ‘caps’ that are placed over top of a damaged tooth to not only help make it stronger but also to make it look better. They’re commonly used after a root canal, to replace an old filling if there isn’t enough tooth left for another regular filling or to attach a bridge. Crowns are made of a few different types of materials including ceramic, acrylic and porcelain as well as gold and metal. Most people opt for the ceramic and porcelain crowns because they can be matched to the color of your natural teeth so you get a seamless smile that is more attractive overall. Crowns can also be placed over an implant to replace a missing tooth.

As for bridges, they are most often used to replace a missing tooth or several missing teeth. Bridges are attached either to implants or the surrounding natural teeth with cement. Since a bridge goes over the nearby teeth that will hold it in place, those teeth will need to be shaved down and made smaller to ensure a proper fit. Bridges can also be made of your choice of materials with ceramic and porcelain offering the most natural effect since they can be matched to your own teeth as mentioned earlier.

Crowns and bridges have the potential to last the remainder of your lifetime if taken care of properly. This means not only getting regular dental check ups but also brushing and flossing regularly to keep your gums healthy. Avoiding biting down on hard foods can also help keep your crowns and bridges intact a lot longer which saves you time, money and discomfort. Having them not only makes your smile complete and more attractive but it also helps to keep your remaining natural teeth from shifting and causing other gaps and problems with your bite. Having a crown or bridge in place of a missing tooth can also help to slow bone loss and deterioration where the missing tooth used to be which is important for the health of all of your teeth. All of this means that you can help to save the health of your smile, gums and jaw while looking great in the process thanks to crowns and bridges.

To find out if crowns and bridges are the solution to your dental problems just give the dentist a call to arrange a consultation. Your full and beautiful smile could be just a phone call away.