Bridges & Crowns

Overview of Dental Bridges & Crowns

What is a crown?

A crown is a tooth restoration which provides 360 degree complete coverage and restores the color and contours back to normal. Crowns are needed when teeth have been broken, cracked or have received large fillings. If a tooth has had root canal treatment, it also typically requires a crown. Teeth which need crowns may or may not be sensitive.

What is a bridge?

A bridge is when multiple crowns can be splinted together to restore and replace one or more missing teeth. These restorations are fixed, cemented and feel completely natural.

Types of Dental Bridges & Crowns

Dental crowns and bridges can be made of different restorative dental materials. Traditional crowns and bridges have a metal substructure with tooth-colored porcelain fired on the outside to cover the metal to make it look natural. This type has served dentistry for many decades and has a proven track record.

All-ceramic bridges and crowns have no metal at all and are the most beautiful by far. Constant advances in technology are making these restorations stronger and longer lasting. Some would argue that metal is no longer needed in dentistry!

The oldest form of dental bridges and crowns would be full gold. This type is extremely durable and can often last 30-40 years. It is however, not tooth colored and is being utilized less and less in the profession.

The Process

In our Lexington, SC dentist office, a crown takes two appointments. The first appointment involves the preparation of the tooth to receive a crown, followed by an impression or dental mold, and the making of a plastic temporary crown typically worn for two-three weeks. The patient is sent home wearing the temporary crown, which should be perfectly comfortable. The impression is sent to our laboratory to make the real crown. Once the crown has been returned to us from the lab, the patient is called in for the second appointment to cement the crown into place. This appointment takes about 10-15 minutes and may or may not require anesthetic.

If you have a need for dental bridges & crowns in Lexington, South Carolina, we can help. Contact us today.