Services Offered
CROWNS
A crown is used to entirely cover or "cap" a damaged tooth. It strengthens a damaged tooth, and improves the appearance of your smile by changing the shape or alignment of the damaged tooth and looking like a "perfect, real" tooth. Sometimes a crown is placed on top of an implant and acts just as a natural tooth does while providing improved appearance. Porcelain or ceramic crowns can be matched to the color of your natural teeth, although crowns can be made of gold and metal alloys, acrylic and ceramic. These are generally stronger than porcelain and may be recommended for back teeth. Porcelain bonded to a metal shell is often used because it is both strong and attractive.
Crowns are often recommended to:
Replace a large filling when there isn't enough tooth remaining
Protect a weak tooth from fracturing
Restore a fractured tooth
Attach a bridge
Cover a dental implant
Cover a discolored or poorly shaped tooth
Cover a tooth that has had root canal treatment
BRIDGES
A bridge may be recommended if you're missing one or more teeth. Gaps left by missing teeth eventually cause the remaining teeth to rotate or shift into the empty spaces, resulting in a bad bite. The imbalance caused by missing teeth can also lead to gum disease and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders.
Bridges span the space where the teeth are missing. They are cemented to the natural teeth or implants surrounding the empty space. These teeth, called abutments, serve as anchors for the bridge. A replacement tooth, called a pontic, is attached to the crowns that cover the abutments. As with crowns, you have a choice of materials for bridges. Your dentist can help you decide which to use, based on the location of the missing tooth (or teeth), its function, aesthetic considerations and cost. Porcelain or ceramic bridges can be matched to the color of your natural teeth.
MAKING CROWNS AND BRIDGES
Before either a crown or a bridge can be made, the tooth (or teeth) must be reduced in size so that the crown or bridge will fit over it properly. After reducing the tooth/teeth, your dentist will take an impression to provide an exact mold for the crown or bridge. If porcelain is to be used, your dentist will determine the correct shade for the crown or bridge to match the color of your existing teeth.
Using this impression, a dental lab then makes your crown or bridge, in the material your dentist specifies. A temporary crown or bridge will be put in place to cover the prepared tooth while the permanent crown or bridge is being made. When the permanent crown or bridge is ready, the temporary crown or bridge is removed, and the new crown or bridge is cemented over your prepared tooth or teeth.
MAINTAINING CROWNS AND BRIDGES
While crowns and bridges can last a lifetime, they do sometimes come loose or fall out. The most important step you can take to ensure the longevity of your crown or bridge is to practice good oral hygiene. A bridge can lose its support if the teeth or bone holding it in place are damaged by dental disease. Keep your gums and teeth healthy by Brushing with fluoride toothpaste twice a day and flossing daily. Also see your dentist and hygienist regularly for checkups and professional cleanings.
To prevent damage to your new crown or bridge, avoid chewing hard foods, ice or other hard objects.
Dr. Jas Grewal, DDS
CALL:
(209) 895-5440
Porcelain Crown
Fused to Metal
Full gold crown
Step 1.
Teeth prepared
for bridge.
Step 2.
Bridge is mounted.
Step 3.
Bridge is cemented
into place.
Crowns and Bridges
Crowns and bridges replace damaged or missing teeth, making your smile more beautiful. They are permanent unlike removable devices such as dentures, and are cemented onto existing teeth or implants. They are only be removed by a dentist.
