Everything You Need to Know About Crowns and Bridges

Crowns and bridges are often used to restore smiles, but each treatment is slightly different.

What Are Crowns and When Are they Needed?

Crowns cover up a tooth entirely and are necessary if you have a tooth that is severely decayed or damaged, or which has received root canal therapy. Sometimes crowns are used in cosmetic dentistry to help improve the appearance of a tooth. They can be made from various materials including metal alloys that are highly polished, for example, gold crowns. Some crowns have metal substructure covered up with porcelain, while others are made entirely from ceramics. Your choice of material depends on the location of the crown, and ceramic crowns are frequently an excellent choice for front teeth and where superior aesthetics are essential.

What Are Dental Bridges and When They Needed?

Dental bridges restore a missing tooth, using the teeth adjacent to the gap for support. These adjacent teeth are crowned, and the dental crowns are attached to a replacement tooth, called a pontic. If you are missing teeth side-by-side, then provided the adjacent teeth are strong enough, you might be able to have a bridge with more than one pontic. Bridges can be made from the same materials as crowns, including entirely from ceramics.