Dental Crowns
A crown may be recommended by a dentist to fix a badly broken, cracked or decayed tooth. They are commonly recommended for teeth that have had a root canal treatment, particularly the back premolar and molar teeth.
Artificial crowns are created to fit over the natural tooth after it has been cut back. They provide the tooth with added strength, and durability. They can also improve the appearance of the tooth or teeth when necessary.
Crowns can be made from a number of materials including porcelain, zirconia, gold alloy or a combination of porcelain and metal. The colour of the porcelain and zirconia can be matched to the colour of your other teeth.
Treatment Steps
Treatment often takes 2 appointments with your dentist.
In the first appointment the dentist will makes a copy of your tooth shape. Then your dentist cut back the tooth to reshape it. This is to make sure there is enough space for a new crown to fit on the tooth. Before you leave, your dentist will put a temporary, plastic crown over the reshaped tooth.
On the second visit, the temporary crown is removed from the tooth. The new crown is glued or cemented onto the natural tooth structure.
Dental Bridges
A dental bridge replaces one or more missing teeth. If you have a tooth removed, your dentist may suggest a dental bridge as a replacement option.
Most commonly, this treatment involves placing a crown on the teeth that sit directly in front and behind the gap. These crowns are joined together by another crown that acts as a false tooth.
Similar to the treatment for a crown, a dental bridge usually takes two appointments and is also able to be made from porcelain, zirconia, gold alloy or a combination of porcelain and metal.
At the first appointment, your dentist will reshape the teeth located each side of the gap ready for the bridge to be made at a dental laboratory.
At the second visit, the treatment is completed by gluing or cementing the manufactured bridge onto the reshaped teeth. In between the visits, an acrylic (plastic) bridge will be temporarily glued to the reshaped teeth to protect them.
