Crowns and Bridges
A missing, chipped, or broken tooth can make you conscious of your smile and bring down your self-confidence. So instead of covering your mouth or hiding behind a friend’s back, you must get rid of the problem to restore your confident smile. After all, a pretty grin can win hearts and make a lasting first impression. Often, the treatment requires a bit more than filling, and your dentist is the best person to inform you about the same. Crowns and bridges have become quite prevalent and have helped several clients flash a million-dollar smile with ease.
What Are Crowns And Bridges and Why Are They Needed?
Crowns and bridges are prosthetic devices that are fixed in your mouth and can be removed only by a dentist. Crowns are used when the tooth is broken or damaged while bridges are used to cover a pair of missing or broken teeth. They are mounted on the affected teeth and appear similar to natural teeth in colour and texture.
Sometimes, a tooth is badly damaged, and a simple filling is not an appropriate long-term treatment for it. In such cases, your dentist in Hope Island may recommend a dental crown. It is a custom-made tooth-shaped covering that rebuilds your tooth to its former glory and allows you to maintain a beautiful smile and restores its chewing function. It eliminates any discomfort that you may have been experiencing and adds the benefit of ensuring that you do not lose a vital tooth.
These are highly recommended by dentists all over the world as they restore your beautiful smile and assist in chewing. Many people complain of a change in the shape of their face due to the loss of a tooth. Bridges help in maintaining the perfect teeth balance that add to your beauty. They are ideal for covering large cracks and cavities.
How Are The Crowns Utilised?
Dental crowns can be used to restore a fractured tooth or an implant after surgery. They can keep a weak tooth safe and cover up a stained tooth easily. Crowns are also used as a cap on teeth treated for root canal procedure. Crowns can be constructed from a number of different materials:
- Ceramic
- Porcelain fused to metal (PFM)
- Gold
The choice of metal depends on your personal preference as well as which is functionally and aesthetically desired for the particular tooth. In modern times, there has been a shift towards using all-ceramic dental crowns and certainly the materials used at Paradise Smiles, Hope Island are cutting edge. We use all-ceramic crowns in the front of your mouth, and this eliminates the possibility of dark staining near the gum line that you may observe in some crowns which are porcelain fused to metal and were widely used some years ago.
Dental crowns and veneers can also be used to address any cosmetic concerns that you may have with your teeth. If you are located in Brisbane or Gold Coast, come in and see our dentists at Hope Island – we are dedicated to creating beautiful smiles using the latest technology for all our patients. Get the smile you need to enjoy the confidence you desire – that’s the Paradise Smiles difference!
How Are The Bridges Utilised?
Bridges are used to cover missing teeth as the surrounding teeth can move into the empty space and lead to an imbalance. It can cause temporomandibular joint (TMJD) disorders or gum disease. The bridges are fixed on the teeth which surround the empty space and become the anchors for the prosthetic device. Similar to crowns, the bridges are also available in a variety of materials including porcelain or ceramic. Your dentist in Hope Island will discuss the best fit for your condition and its aesthetic relevance to decide the material. The bridges match with your teeth colour and are almost invisible until examined closely.
At Paradise Smiles, we understand that the costs and timeframes associated with any procedure may be of concern to you. Thus we ensure that every option is thoroughly discussed with you so that you may make the best decision possible.
The Procedure
The first step is an X-ray which decides the path of the treatment. For the placement of the crowns and bridges, your dentist in Hope Island will first adjust the size of the existing teeth to fit under the devices comfortably. While reducing the size of the anchor teeth or reshaping them, your practitioner will administer a local anaesthetic. The dentist will then create a mould using the impression of your teeth. They will identify the colour of your teeth to make an exact copy.
The crown or bridge will be developed in the lab after deciding the material. During the time of the preparation, a temporary bridge will be placed in the gap which will be removed at the time of the final placement of the bridge. The device is then cemented on the anchor teeth or the fractured tooth. It is not a painful procedure and the comfort of the patient is kept in consideration at all stages of the procedure. It is a long-lasting treatment which can stay in place up to ten or more years. Good oral hygiene and dental care will ensure the longevity of the crowns and bridges. A problem can arise if the anchor teeth become infected or damaged, so you must keep your teeth clean and brush and floss twice every day.
Post Treatment Care
Your dentist in Hope Island will advise you on the post-care of the bridges and crowns. Besides maintaining an efficient oral hygiene routine, you must floss around the crown carefully to make sure no food particles are stuck around it. You should also avoid eating hard items using the treated teeth, such as ice or hard-boiled sugar candies. Make sure there is no build-up of plaque so that the anchor teeth remain secure and the gums are not affected. Crowns and bridges need the same care as required by real teeth, so you must not take them for granted. You must visit your dentist frequently to get the teeth checked and get immediate attention when needed.
Over the years, with prolonged use, the crowns and bridges may get chipped or fractured. In this case, your dentist will have to examine the damage and will suggest the repair or replacement of the prosthetic device. If you feel pain in the treated tooth, you must visit the dentist as it can be due to improper fixation of the device or due to some decay in the teeth underneath the covering. Our practitioners are adept in this treatment and have access to the latest equipment which allow the best results in all cases.
