CROWNS & BRIDGES

CROWNS

A dental crown is a tooth shaped “cap” that is placed over a tooth, covering the tooth to restore size, strength and /or improve appearance. A crown in needed when…

1. To protect a weak tooth from breaking , ( a tooth that has had root canal therapy)
2. To restore an already broken tooth that has been severely worn down.
3. To cover and support a tooth with a large filling
4. To improve the esthetics of a severely discoloured or poorly shaped tooth
5. To cover a dental implant

TYPES OF CROWNS

Three type of crowns are used today in dentistry:

1. Porcelain fused to metal crowns. They contain a metal substructure which is covered by tooth coloured porcelain. Are very strong and give a good esthetic result. However if the gums recede the metal underlining the porcelain can show as a dark line along the gum. They are good choice for front or back teeth.
2. Full porcelain crowns, are a good choice for front teeth, and for people with metal allergies.However they are not as strong as the porcelain fused to metal crown.
3. Zirconia baked porcelain crowns. They contain a metal free white coloured zirconia substructure, which is just as strong as metal. They combine the strength of the zirconia and the superior esthetics of the porcelain, ensuring superior esthetics and long term stability.

BRIDGES

A bridge, also known as a fixed partial denture, is a dental restoration used to replace one or more missing teeth. A bridge is fabricated by reducing the teeth on either side of the missing tooth or teeth by a preparation pattern determined by the location of the teeth and by the material from which the bridge is fabricated. In other words, the abutment teeth are reduced in size to accommodate the material to be used to restore the size and shape of the original teeth in a correct alignment and contact with the opposing teeth. The materials used for the bridges includes gold, porcelain fused to metal and zirconia backed porcelain. The latest is the material of choice for restoring missing front teeth. It combines the superior esthetics of porcelain and the inner strength of zirconia for a long lasting restoration.