Crowns

Crowns sometimes referred to as ''caps'' are dental restorations that cover over the tooth on which they are cemented to. Dentists use crowns to strenghthen teeth that are broken or decayed. Crowns can also restore the appearance of a tooth as there are many types of crowns to choose from. They can be made of all porcelain or other ceramic materials or all gold or other metal alloys, or they may be made of a combination of theses materials. Depending on the placement in your mouth and the biting forces your dentist will help you decide what type is best for you.

When a crown is made in a dental laboratory, the technician will examine all aspects of your jaw movements and bite, to create the crown to look and fuction best in the area the crown is needed. The lab will use the models the dentist makes while he is preparing your tooth for a crown.

Before crowns many of the teeth with deep decay or fractures were often lost. Crowns are a common procedure to strengthen teeth that are not strong enough on their own. Crowns are so natural looking you can't tell them from our own teeth. There are several types of crowns made of different materials. The type used depends on the placement in our mouth and biting forces the material will need to stand up to.

Bridge

Bridges are a permanent fixture to replace missing teeth, they can replace one tooth or several. Once a tooth is lost the options available to replace the missing tooth are implants, a partial denture or a permanent bridge. Bridges are very strong and can withstand the biting forces of our mouths, they are also very natural looking.

Missing teeth can cause problems we are often not aware of. The teeth next to the missing tooth may begin to drift into the space as there is nothing to hold them in place. A tooth above or below the missing tooth will begin to ''super erupt'' looking for their mate to bite against. As the tooth continues to erupt the roots become exposed and can turn sensitive and lead to more serious problems like food traps, gum irritation, bone loss, decay and bad breath.