Porcelain Crowns

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You are eating dinner and suddenly you are holding half of one of your teeth in your hand. Weakened by a fracture or a large filling, the tooth is now in obvious need of repair. We may suggest a crown, an artificial replacement of the upper part of the tooth, to restore the function and look of the damaged one. Crowns can be made from several different kinds of materials, we use porcelain to maintain the aesthetic of natural teeth.

You have one or more missing teeth due to decay or an accident. This loss changes the look of your smile, your bite, and puts stress on surrounding teeth to compensate for the lost tooth. One option we may suggest for replacing the lost tooth is with a bridge. The missing tooth is replaced with an artificial tooth connected between two crowns (caps) which are permanently cemented or bonded on the adjacent teeth.

What are the most common benefits of this surgery?

Porcelain Crowns and bridges are two restorative techniques that repair damaged or missing teeth. They restore tooth function and appearance. The use of crowns and bridges also avoids shifting teeth that can happen after a tooth is lost. By maintaining or restoring the patient's bite and their smile the effects of the tooth damage or loss are reversed.

Ideal Candidate:

A crown is recommended for anyone who has a tooth that is beyond repair with a filling, inlay or onlay. Damage due to decay, accident, wear, or grinding can be repaired with crowns. It should be noted, however, that more conservative techniques in cosmetic dentistry, such as veneers, inlays, onlays, bonding, and bleaching have replaced some of the instances when crowns were used in the past to achieve esthetic goals.

A bridge is recommended for anyone who has a tooth missing. Like crowns, bridges are also being used less often, as implants are becoming a very popular means of replacing one or more lost teeth. However, for your particular situation, a crown or a bridge may be the best and most cost efficient method of getting back a functional, attractive smile after tooth damage.

What is the long-term outcome like for most people?

With care, crowns and bridges last 5 - 15 years, some significantly longer. If any damage is noticed to the structure of the crown or bridge an immediate trip to the dentist is recommended to avoid further damage due to the weakened structure.