A crown is a tooth shaped restoration that covers an entire tooth. A bridge is made up of three or more, connected crowns. A bridge is used to replace a missing tooth. The teeth on either side of the missing tooth are crowned and the crown in the middle fills the empty space.
Crowns and bridges are necessary for many reasons:
- To rebuild a tooth when decay, leaking fillings or fractures on the tooth have destroyed over 50% of the natural tooth structure.
- To protect a tooth weakened by a fracture
- To restore cracked teeth
- To reduce hot, cold or chewing sensitivity
- To replace a missing or extracted tooth
- To cover a badly shaped or discolored tootth
A well constructed crown or bridge will last from 5 years to 25 years. In some cases, crowns and bridges will last even longer.
Crowns take two visits to complete. On the first visit, the old filling and decay is removed and the tooth is prepared for the crown using modern techniques and materials. A temporary crown is made in the office and placed on the tooth until the final crown is fabricated. The tooth is numb during the entire process so that you are able to remain comfortable and relaxed.
On the second appointment the crown is gently placed on the tooth to make sure it fits well and blends in with the surrounding teeth. Assuming everything looks perfect, we cement the crown to your tooth. Crowns require no special upkeep beyond regular good preventive dental hygiene with tooth brushing and flossing.
Dr Clusserath and his staff have extensive experience in fabricating and placing crowns and bridges. If you suspect you might need a crown or a bridge, give our Sacramento area dental office a call at (916) 723-3368. We will be happy to evaluate your tooth and help you smile more again.