Why Do You Need a Crown or Bridge?
Old fillings, tooth decay, cracked or missing teeth, and black lines around your old crowns can have a significant impact on the health and function of your smile, not to mention your appearance.
Crowns and bridgework, also known as restorative dentistry, involve restoring natural teeth that have been damaged, decayed or lost. Crowns and bridges can correct missing teeth, bite dysfunction, and or structural problems. A crown restores an individual tooth back to its original form and function, while a bridge replaces one or more missing teeth.
At Lamb Family Dental we create long lasting, durable porcelain crowns and bridges that look natural and are virtually undetectable. We offer porcelain crowns to restore both front and back teeth. We offer porcelain bridges to replace a row of missing teeth, which may be able to replace your old partial denture – eliminating the need to clean a removable appliance every night! Made to match the shape, size, and color or your teeth, these porcelain restorations will give you a long-lasting beautiful smile.
Benefits of a Crown or Bridge
Porcelain crowns prevent further decay from destroying your tooth and restore usual tooth functionality. Porcelain bridges stop teeth from drifting out of their normal place and into the space created by missing teeth, which can lead to a change in your bite, the loss of additional teeth, decay or gum disease. Porcelain bridges also restore your chewing and speaking ability, and cosmetically restore your smile by maintaining your facial shape. Bridgework gives you a more youthful appearance, allowing you to smile without any embarrassment.
Porcelain Crown Procedure
Placing a crown is an easy dental procedure which should require no longer than two visits to Lamb Family Dental.
Your dentist will first prepare the tooth, which will get the crown by taking away the outer coating of the tooth. An impression is then made and used to design the crown that will fit snugly on your remaining tooth. During your next trip to our rooms in Boise, the permanent crown will be fitted. After the final adjustments are made, the crown is permanently cemented into position.
Porcelain Bridge Procedure
A porcelain bridge is a custom device that is anchored to neighboring teeth to replace one or more missing teeth. When a lost tooth is replaced with a bridge, the teeth on either side of the missing one are prepared as crowns to hold the artificial replacement tooth in place. Porcelain material is the most popular choice because it is durable and maintains the natural look of your smile.
During the first visit in the process, the neighboring teeth will be prepared by removing enamel and contouring them to permit space for the dental crowns. We will then make impressions of your teeth, which will be used as a mould to produce the crowns. The permanent bridge is created in a dental lab. A temporary bridge might be set on the region to protect the vulnerable gums and teeth, while the permanent bridge is made.
During the second visit, the temporary bridge will be removed and replaced by the new porcelain bridge. Any adjustments to the fit will then be made. Achieving the proper fit may take multiple visits for the dentist to check the bridge framework and your bite. During this time, the bridge will only be temporarily cemented into place. Once all the adjustments have been made, the bridge will be permanently cemented.
