What is a Dental Crown and Tooth Bridge?

What is a Dental Crown and Tooth Bridge?- BracesOrInvisalign.comDental Crowns and bridges are prosthetic materials that may be placed over a tooth. They are known as crowns or caps; and they are called as such because they are made to cover teeth just as a cap would cover the head of person. When they are made, the entire procedure begins with tooth reduction; about 1 to 2 millimeters of tooth is removed around, so that when the cast is made from the impression taken of the mouth, the laboratory technician may use it to make the crown.? We will proceed to tell you what is a dental crown and tooth bridge.

Indications of Dental Crowns and Bridges

Dental Crowns may be given to patients for all kinds of reasons:

  • Tooth Fracture. A tooth may fracture, break or chip due to a physical blow to the fac, teeth grinding, erosion, abrasion and all other reasons. When tooth structure is lost, a tooth filling usually resolves this but when the loss is more severe, the tooth fracture is often best addressed with a crown.

  • Tooth Stain or Discoloration. Teeth many stain and discolor due to all kinds of reasons, so giving the person?s smile an ugly appearance. When normal dental procedures are unable to resolve these stains and discolorations, dental crowns may be installed to mask the ugly appearance of the teeth.

  • Final Restoration after Root Canal Treatment. A root canal treatment helps to save the tooth but when the pulp tissue is removed, this makes the tooth brittle and it also may discolor in time. By installing a dental crown over the tooth, you not only reinforce the tooth and make it strong, you also are able to mask and potential discoloration that may occur.

  • Badly Decayed Tooth. Multiple surface caries may be cleaned and then filled with a composite, but when the damage is much too severe, retention and aesthetics will become an issue so fitting a dental crown over the tooth becomes a better idea.

  • Loss of Tooth. To fill gaps created by a tooth loss, several crowns may be linked together to create a bridgework. The bridge may be fitted over the teeth to fill the gap and restore the aesthetics and function of the teeth in the mouth.

  • Teeth Whitening. While take home and chairside whitening procedures are still very effective, they often need to be performed regularly if one wishes to maintain the whiteness of their teeth. A more permanent solution will be achieved through crowning; dental crowns can be made a shade ligter and whiter, to give the patient a more beautiful smile.

Types of Materials for Dental Crowns

When you make a decision to get crowns, the following options will be given to you for materials:

  • Plastic Crowns. Mostly indicated as a temporary crown to be worn in between fabrication, fitting and cementation sessions, while the final prosthesis are still being made in the dental laboratory.

  • Porcelain Crowns. The most common material used for the fabrication of crowns, they may be made with or without metal for strength and aesthetics, respectively.

  • Ceramic Crowns. An alternative to porcelain crowns, they are also very aesthetically pleasing and may be made instantly if CEREC system is available.

  • Metal Crowns. Usually indicated for posterior crowns due to the strength it is able to offer.

Proper Care of Dental Crowns and Tooth Bridges

When you have your dental crowns made, you have to understand that you have made an investment on the prosthesis, so you have to make a commitment to take good care of them if you want them to last long in your mouth. Dental Crowns that are responsibly kept are able to survive for years, and if you wish for this to be your fate then you have to know how to care for them:

  • Good Oral Hygiene. You observe good oral hygiene without crowns, so it is obvious that you observe good oral hygiene after your dental crowns have been installed. Understand that your crowns are attached to natural teeth that may still be infected by caries, and so still face the danger of being lost. By being responsible enough to observe regular and thorough oral hygiene practices, you preserve the health of your oral cavity and the life of any prosthesis you may have in your mouth.

  • Proper Diet. The food you eat translates to the kind of health your mouth enjoys and if you are fond of sweets and things that are bad for your teeth, you put it at a higher risk of developing problems that you may regret having.

  • Stop Smoking. Smoking is bag in the general sense because it causes the deterioration of the tissues in the mouth. If you are a smoker, the bad chemicals in cigarettes do not help the health of your teeth and also the life of your crowns.

  • Regular Dental Visits. Finally, if you are interested in really prolonging the life of your dental crowns, you will make sure to see your dentist quite often for regular cleaning and check-up so that true maintenance may be forwarded to you and any problems may be detected early and so remedied.