Dental crown and bridges – Pattaya International Denal center

What are Dental Crowns and Tooth Bridges?

Both crowns and most bridges are fixed prosthetic devices. Unlike removable devices such as dentures, which you can take out and clean daily, crowns and bridges are cemented onto existing teeth or implants, and can only be removed by a dentist.

How do Crowns Work?

A crown is used to entirely cover or “cap” a damaged tooth. Besides strengthen a damaged tooth, a crown can be used for improve its appearance, shape or alignment. A crown can also be placed on top of an implant to provide a tooth-like shape and structure for function. Porcelain or ceramic crowns can be matched to the color of your natural teeth. Other materials include gold and metal alloys, acrylic and ceramic. These alloys 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.

How are Dental Veneers Placed?

The dentist would remove a small amount of the tooth surface to permit placement of the veneer. An impression is taken of the tooth and sent to the dental laboratory. The dental veneer is then made to fit the tooth and mouth. The veneer is bonded to the tooth with resin cement.u00a0

Your dentist may recommend a crown 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

How do Bridges Work?

A bridge is recommended if you’re missing one or more teeth. A 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 are commonly used to replace one or more missing teeth. They span the space where the teeth are missing. Bridges 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.

How are Crowns and Bridges Made?

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.

How Long do Crowns and Bridges Last?

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.

The procedure for crown and bridge usually need 2-3 visits to finish.

1. First visit is for tooth preparation, take impression, bite registration, match the color and make the temporary prosthesis to protect the vitality of the teeth after preparation.

2. Second visit is for try in crown/bridge which included check the fitness of the crown/bridge, the seatness of the margin, the contact point, the occlusion and the harmonize to the patient smile. After some correction, the crown/bridge then fix to the patient mouth by cementation.

3. Third visit is usually for recheck to make sure our patient have no problem with the work we have done.

To restore the missing teeth by the bridge, The most disadvantage of this procedure is the need to cut around the adjacent teeth which can not be irreversible. One of the the best option for restore missing teeth by fix prosthesis is dental implant.

The normal time period need for crown and/or bridge work is about 3-7 days. However, we have our in house laboratory at PIDC, so we can offer one day delivery of one single crown in the rush case.