When teeth are heavily decayed they may be too weak to survive with just a filling. By placing a crown, a tooth may be given a new lease of life. Even when a single tooth is lost a denture may not be required as a bridge can be made which spans the gap with a tooth attached to those next to the space. Sometimes when a single small tooth is lost at the front of the mouth a simple bridge can be made which has 'wings' that are glued to the back of the adjacent teeth. This results in less tooth being damaged by the drill.
What is a dental crown?
The dental crown is a cap placed over a tooth and it is shaped like a tooth. The purpose of the crown is to restore the shape and size and strength of the tooth or to improve its appearance.
The visible portion of a tooth above the gum line will be fully encased by the crowns once they are cemented properly.
What is the purpose of providing dental crowns?
The dental crowns are provided under the following circumstances.
To protect a tooth that has become weak either due to decaying or breaking
To hold the cracked tooth in position
To hold a dental bridge in its place
To cover a dental implant
To cover a stained tooth or crooked tooth
To cover and support a tooth that has gone through a lot of filling
To restore a broken tooth or a severely worn out tooth
What are temporary and permanent dental crowns?
Temporary crowns are crowns that can be made in your dentist's office and normally they are made out of acrylic. Permanent crowns are crowns that are made in a dental laboratory. Temporary crowns are used as a temporary restoration until the dental laboratory makes a permanent crown using any of the above said materials.
Crowns
Dental Crowns
What is a Dental Bridge?
A dental bridge is a false tooth or teeth, known as a pontic, which is fused between two porcelain crowns to fill in the area left by a missing tooth or teeth. The two crowns holding it in place that are attached onto your teeth on each side of the false tooth. This is known as a fixed bridge. This procedure is used to replace one or more missing teeth. Fixed bridges cannot be taken out of your mouth as you might do with removable partial dentures.
In areas of your mouth that are under less stress, such as your front teeth, a cantilever bridge may be used. Cantilever bridges are used when there are teeth on only one side of the open space. Bridges can reduce your risk of gum disease, help correct some bite issues and even improve your speech. Bridges require your commitment to serious oral hygiene, but will last as many ten years or more.
Bridges
HOW ITS DONE
As a lot of tooth tissue may need to be removed your dentist will normally give you a local anaesthetic (injection) before starting treatment.
This tooth is heavily decayed and needs a crown to prevent the top part of the tooth beaking down completely. The decay is removed and any holes are filled with amalgam or a white filling material.
The tooth is then prepared using the drill. A ledge is made around the tooth and the top is cut down to make space for the gold. After this the dentist will take an impression of the tooth which is then sent to the laboratory. A model of the tooth is made from this and a crown made to fit.
The crown is then fitted. A special cement is used to bond it to the underlying tooth. The dentist may need to adjust it before the patient leaves the surgery so that the bite is just right.
This diagram shows what a tooth looks like after it has been prepared. The notches cut in the side help the crown stay on when its fitted. These are called retention grooves.
Types of dental bridges:- There are three types of dental bridges.
Traditional Fixed Bridge:- A dental bridge is a false tooth, known as a pontic, which is fused between two porcelain crowns to fill in the area left by a missing tooth. There two crowns holding it in place that are attached onto your teeth on each side of the false tooth. This is known as a fixed bridge. Fixed bridges cannot be taken out of your mouth as you might do with removable partial dentures.
Resin Bonded Bridges:- The resin bonded is primarily used for your front teeth. Less expensive, this bridge is best used when the abutment teeth are healthy and don't have large fillings.
Cantilever Bridges:- In areas of your mouth that are under less stress, such as your front teeth, a cantilever bridge may be used. Cantilever bridges are used when there are teeth on only one side of the open space.
