What is a dental bridge?
Dental bridges are one of the ways by which you could replace a missing tooth with a prosthetic. As the name suggests, this is done not by fitting a removable tooth in the missing spot, but rather by creating a “bridge” by attaching a false tooth to the adjacent teeth.
Bridges work especially well for patients who are missing several teeth in a cluster because the same two attachments can replace the entire set.
Common reasons for getting a dental bridge
Just like many other dental procedures, bridges have specific instances where they do better than others. We commonly recommend dental bridges for the following cases :
- Fill in a missing tooth, or a group of missing teeth
- Repair facial shape
- Fix chewing and speech issues resulting from missing teeth
- Prevent damage to neighboring teeth
- Avoid needing a removable denture
While bridges work extraordinarily well in some situations, however, there is an important caveat- dental bridges replace teeth at the cost of the health of the adjacent teeth. This is because the bridges have to be anchored somehow, and this typically means that the teeth next to the gap need to be shaped down and modified to accommodate the attachment.
Obviously, our doctor will make sure this adjustment doesn’t overly damage the teeth involved.
What is a dental crown?
A damaged or decayed tooth may create a cosmetic blemish or become a source of sensitivity and pain. Dental crown help reinforce and restore the structural integrity of a tooth while preserving as much of the natural tooth structure as possible. With this procedure, the dentist can often prevent the need for a tooth extraction. When a root canal is necessary to save a tooth, a porcelain crown can strengthen the tooth structure while restoring its appearance. A porcelain crown may be the best solution for patients who want to restore both the function and aesthetics of a damaged or decayed tooth.
Why might I need a dental crown?
- To repair and restore a broken tooth that has, for example, cracked in half, or a severely worn down tooth, which can happen to patients who are prone to teeth- grinding.
- To protect a weak tooth that is prone to decay and other damage.
- As an alternative to a cavity filling, though this is typically only explored as an option when the filling is so large that repairing the remaining tooth would be futile.
- To support a dental bridge or to cover a dental implant.
- To hide a misshapen or severely discolored tooth.
If you want to know whether you could benefit from a dental crown or bridge, call us so we can help you to choose the best treatment type for your specific situation and restore your teeth.