Crowns and bridges | Dental Rehabilitation
Crowns and bridges are caps or ‘helmets’ for teeth. They cover all of a tooth, and help restore the tooth to its original shape and colour. They can be handmade or 3D milled, and come in a variety of materials such as porcelain, zirconia (white metal) and gold. They are particularly useful when teeth are broken down due to trauma, or previous large fillings and holes. We always aim to treat our patients conservatively, and part of that philosophy involves keeping teeth when possible. We would much prefer to rebuild a tooth rather than remove and replace, unless no other option exists.
Therefore, we will often recommend a crown as the best option to rebuild a tooth that is heavily broken down. It allows us to give your tooth the strength to last long-term, while looking fantastic. When this isn’t an option, we can rebuild the tooth on a shorter-term basis using composite resin and other filling materials.
Bridges | Missing teeth
This treatment can also be used to replace missing teeth. Bridges are multiple crowns joined together. A bridge can replace missing teeth in an efficient and aesthetic manner and has a number of advantages. It avoids the lengthy time needed for dental implants to heal as well as the associated surgical risks. However, like implants, they are fixed and permanent, so they don’t need to be removed like dentures do.
Technology
Although crowns and bridges have been around for decades, recent research and technology has seen huge improvements in the aesthetics and strength of these treatment options. We now have 3D Scanners, 3D digital design and milling, as well as improvements in the materials and techniques of the hand-made options which are giving our patients consistent, great results.
Photo: Replacing a worn down tooth and old filling with a new porcelain crown.
