Crowns and Bridges
Crown and Bridges
A dental crown is a tooth shaped cap that is placed on top of an existing tooth or an implant. The crown is put on for many reasons such as restoring a tooth’s shape and size, strength and its appearance. There are times where a tooth needs to be reinforced by a crown to protect the parts that are still healthy and strong. This may be the case when a tooth has undergone a large restoration (filling), a root canal treatment, or, perhaps the tooth has been injured or damaged and needs to be rebuilt. In situations such as these, crowns – or caps, as they are also called – are used to cover what remains of the tooth.
A bridge is simply a combination of two or more crowns that “bridge” the space between your teeth. If you are missing any teeth, a bridge is the most natural choice for you to fill that space.
If the space where the missing teeth were is not filled can allow the surrounding teeth to shift and become crooked. This can change your bite and make both your teeth and your gums more susceptible to decay and disease. A fixed bridge will not only improve your ability to chew but also help you to maintain a more youthful appearance.
In our office we construct our crowns using metals with the highest content of gold possible. This helps to eliminate the possibility of any kind of allergic or toxic reaction. These metals are then covered with porcelain. Sometimes, the crowns are made entirely of porcelain.
Please take into consideration that each dental situation is different and the materials we use are determined by what we find when we examine your teeth.
Why is It Needed?
Why is It Needed?
If you are committed to maintaining good oral hygiene and you are missing teeth, you may be a good candidate for a crown or bridge. These options are the most natural choice to fill the space in your mouth left by missing teeth. A crown or bridge can not only correct an altered bite, improve your chewing ability and speech, but they also prevent the collapse of your facial features that can cause premature wrinkles and age lines.
Although the use of veneers and Lumineers often are a good solution for patients to alter the look of their smile for aesthetic reasons, teeth that are affected by decay, discoloration or repeated surgical procedures can call for a solution that is able to replace more than the front appearance of the affected teeth. In these cases, the use of crowns is more and offers a complete solution versus just covering the front surface.
What Does It Consist Of?
What Does It Consist Of?
Besides traditional bridges, another popular design is the resin bonded or “Maryland” bridge, primarily used for the front teeth. This is usually the most economical choice when the abutment teeth are healthy and don’t contain large fillings. The pontic is fused to metal bands that can be bonded to the abutment teeth with a resin cement and hidden from view, reducing the amount of preparation on the adjacent teeth.
A cantilever bridge may be used if there are teeth on only one side of the span. This involves anchoring the pontic to one side over one or more natural, adjacent teeth. If there are no adjacent teeth to act as anchors, your dentist may recommend an implant — a metal post that is surgically embedded into the bone and capped with a crown as an abutment. In some cases where the span is large, your dentist may recommend a removable partial denture or even an implant-supported prosthesis.
Just like when a patient has one single tooth in need of important restorations, a crown can also be used for aesthetic reasons. Instead of removing the affected tooth or using a veneer or Lumineer, the dentist will save the natural tooth but he will replace much of it by adding a custom-made “cap” onto it. This crown will restore the natural tooth’s shape and appearance.
How is It Carried Out?
How is It Carried Out?
For a traditional fixed bridge, the first appointment consists of the dentist reducing the adjacent abutment teeth that will act as anchors. Impressions are made, from which a metal framework, including the pontic, is created. By the second appointment, the final bridge is fitted over the teeth. The total treatment time is usually between two or four weeks, depending on the type of bridge. However, because it is often difficult to match the natural shade of your teeth, the treatment time may be longer.
A crown takes place in two appointments. The first one is an hour and the second appointment is in a half hour. The first step to putting a crown into place is to give the patient a local anesthetic, file down the tooth which needs to be restored and protect it with a temporary crown. Once the tooth is filed down, the dentist uses the latest technology available to send digital impressions of the patient’s mouth to a laboratory so that the prosthesis to be added to the prepared tooth can be tailor-made. A second appointment then allows the dentist to cement the crown into place.
Make an Appointment
Make an Appointment
Schedule an appointment with Dr. Mehrabani by calling (514) 696-5746 or by filling out the form below.
Our office hours, location and directions are available on our Contact Us page.
New Patient? Welcome!
New Patient? Welcome!
Dr. Mehrabani is pleased to welcome new patients.
Schedule your first visit with us by calling (514) 696-5745 or by filling out the New Patient Form here.
The New Patient Form is required in order to complete our records and to enable us to give proper consideration to your treatment needs. The form is strictly confidential and can be completed online here. If you’d prefer to fill out the form in person, call us at (514) 696-5745.
