Crowns and Bridges

Crowns
A dental crown can have many benefits, it may protect a weak tooth, restore one that is broken or support a tooth which has a large filling in it. Crowns are also used for cosmetic reasons, such as to cover misshapen or severely discoloured teeth.

A crown is essentially a cap fitted over your own tooth to restore its function and appearance. You might need one if your tooth has been broken or weakened by a large fill or root canal treatment. Weakened teeth will receive sound dependable protection. The result will be a natural-looking smile and an enduring solution to what may have been a long standing problem.

Crowns can have a great cosmetic value; if your teeth have become chipped, worn down or heavily filled, they can be an effective way to make your smile look fresh and attractive again. Crowns have been used in dentistry for many years and are still a mainstay of restorative dentistry as the results are so good and long lasting.

Crowns made from tooth coloured porcelain produce the best cosmetic results. Your permanent crown will be matched to the colour of your own teeth. To make a crown a very small portion of enamel will be removed to allow room for a crown to be placed over your tooth. We will then take an impression of your tooth and send it to our dental technician, where he will craft a beautifully accurate crown for you. You are then fitted with a temporary crown to ensure you are never left with a gap in your teeth whilst waiting for your crown to be manufactured.

On your second visit your temporary crown will be removed and your new porcelain crown will be cemented into place. As with all our dental procedures your new crown will be aesthetically pleasing as well as functional, so you can be sure that your new crown will look right and sit naturally among your own teeth.

Bridge
If you are missing a tooth and do not want to wear a denture a bridge may be a solution for you. Unlike a denture, a dental bridge is fixed in place and does not need to be removed at all.

Bridges can be treated like natural teeth, so you won’t have to worry about eating certain types of food or suffering from irritation due to sore gums.

It is not usually a good idea to leave a gap between teeth, whether the space is at the front or the back of the mouth, as it can affect the way you bite, chew and talk. A bridge is designed to fill the space and provides a lasting and comfortable solution.

The obvious reason for choosing a bridge is to enhance your appearance by replacing a missing tooth. A bridge will also improve your bite and reduce the strain on your other teeth.

Traditionally, placing a bridge would have caused damage to your healthy supporting teeth, which were filed down to create space, but due to advances in materials we no longer need to remove as much healthy tooth structure.

A very small portion of enamel will be removed on your first visit to allow room for a crown to be placed over the adjacent teeth. Impressions of your teeth will be taken, a model of your teeth made from which the bridge will be constructed in our dental laboratory.

A temporary bridge will be made for you to wear to protect the prepared teeth while your permanent bridge is being made. On your second visit, your temporary bridge will be removed and the new porcelain bridge will be cemented into position.