Crowns

 

Dental crowns are used for the restoration of damaged, cracked or broken down teeth using quality materials which are cemented into place. A crown is used to cap or completely cover a tooth.

 

Why use crowns?

If your teeth are weakened or damaged by decay or fillings, crowns add strength and improve the look of your smile.

 

What is a crown?

Crowns are permanent ‘caps’ shaped like natural teeth. Usually ceramic for front teeth and porcelain or gold for molars, crowns are custom-made to perfectly fit your tooth.

 

Newer ceramic crowns look like porcelain crowns and are strong enough to be used in all areas of the mouth. These blend seamlessly with your teeth and avoid unsightly black lines forming around the margin of the crown.

 

What happens when you get a Crown?

• An X-ray is taken to check the condition of the entire tooth

• Local anaesthetic is administered

• A mould of your tooth is taken using a putty-like material, so the crown can be made to fit your tooth perfectly.

• Temporary crown fitted

• Duration: ± 2 weeks for the crown to be ready

• At the second appointment, your dentist will remove the temporary crown and cement the new crown in place.

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Bridges

 

A bridge, also known as a fixed partial denture, is a dental restoration used to replace a missing tooth by joining permanently to adjacent teeth or dental implants.

 

Why use a bridge?

If you have missing teeth, a bridge can be used to fill the space with natural-looking replacement teeth. Dentures or implants may also be recommended by your dentist.

 

As well as improving the appearance of your smile, bridges help prevent common problems arising from missing teeth, such as bite misalignment, tilting teeth and sagging facial muscles. On average, bridges may last for ten years and even longer.

 

How are bridges fitted?

The replacement teeth in bridges are designed to match the colour of your natural teeth and made of porcelain and/or metal.

 

There are many bridge designs. In most bridges, false teeth are attached to your natural teeth on either side of the space.

 

How do I take care of my bridge?

Bridges are cemented in place, so they can’t be removed for cleaning. To keep your natural teeth healthy, you should clean the gap under the bridge with special dental floss. Ask your dentist to show you how to floss under your bridge.