All of us at some point or the heard have heard our dentist’s speaking about crown and bridges. Crown as the name suggests is a cover or a cap for a tooth which is either chipped, decayed or is affected due to various other reasons. Bridge on the other hand is that framework which fills in the empty space between teeth when a tooth or multiple teeth are lost. Both dental crowns and dental bridges fall under the category of restorative procedures as their main function is to preserve and restore the functionality of the remaining tooth/teeth. Some dentists also refer to crowns and bridges as prosthetic devices as they are the artificial replacement of a natural tooth/teeth.
When is a dental crown advised ?
A crown is advised for a tooth which is either chipped, broken, decayed (has a cavity), maligned (not in correct position), discolored (mostly after a trauma/drug reaction/ fluoride excess), root canal treated and to support a large filling. With the advent of use of dental implants in dentistry, crowns are used to cover the implant units too.
What are dental crowns made of ?
Dental crowns are made up of metal (stainless steel/gold), ceramic, porcelain, ceramic fused to metal and zirconia. The choice of type of dental crown depends upon your requirement and your oral health status. For instance, in children who still have milk teeth prefabricated stainless steel crowns are used as they are easy in application, less tooth preparation and easy to remove when the milk tooth falls of giving way for the permanent tooth.
How is your tooth prepared to receive a dental crown ?
A crown is given to maintain and restore the functionality of the remaining tooth. But, to receive a crown a lot of the normal surface area of the tooth needs to be trimmed and shaped to provide space and durability to the artificial crown. The preparation of the tooth is either performed under the influence of anesthesia or not depending upon the patient’s requirement. The tooth is prepared/ trimmed and an impression is taken with the help of putty material or alginate to fabricate the replica as an artificial crown. The impression has to be accurate so that it directly affects the fit of the crown. The artificial crown is fabricated in the lab and it might take some days, till then your treating dentist can cement a temporary crown on the prepared tooth surface. Once the dental crown is ready, a cement usually a tooth colored cement is used to cement the crown to prepared tooth surface. An articulating paper is used to check for any high points or minor trimming if required so that the normal biting is not compromised. If you have any issues with the newly placed crown you are advised to consult with your dentist immediately.
When is a dental bridge advised ?
A bridge is advised to fill the gap when either a single tooth or teeth are missing. A dental bridge is a fixed prostheses hence is also called as an FPD (fixed partial denture) by dental practitioners. A bridge is advised because if there is an empty space left between two teeth, the teeth will tend to move or drift from their normal position causing other problems. So a bridge basically connects either one or multiple teeth by filling the gap between them. A dental bridge not only aesthetically improves your oral appearance but also improves its functionality by improving your chewing and biting force distribution.
What are the types of dental bridges ?
Dental bridges are traditionally made up of crowns which are usually a two or three-unit system used to bridge a gap between two teeth cause by a single or multiple missing teeth. Other type of bridges are cantilever bridges which are used to replace only one missing tooth and Maryland bridges which are supported by a metal framework. Your dentist can discuss with you and decide which type of bridge will best suited for your requirement.
How does one prepare to receive a dental bridge ?
A dental bridge is usually delivered between two to three sittings. Since, bridge is a fixed prosthesis once it is fixed on to the adjacent teeth, it cannot be removed unless a dentist tries it to remove it. Also, a dental bridge involves multiple teeth, the preparation to receive the bridge requires skilled precision. During a dental bridge fabrication, the dentist will prepare the teeth adjacent to the missing space by removing some amount of natural tooth structure. Followed by tooth preparation the impression is taken with the help of putty material or alginate and the same is sent for bridge fabrication. The missing tooth is also kept into consideration while fabricating the dental bridge. Also, a metal framework may be a part of the bridge to give it more strength and durability. Temporary crowns may be placed till the final dental bridge is fabricated. Most of the dentist’s cement the final fabricated bridge with a cement (luting cement) so that the fit is checked for a few days till it is permanently cemented in the oral cavity.
Nowadays, implant supported bridges are also fabricated when multiple missing teeth are replaced by implants.
What are the complications associated with dental crowns and bridges ?
As such not much complications are associated with crown and bridges. Occasionally the crowns and dental bridge units can become loose, chip off or fall off. Not much care is required for these prosthesis, but routine oral hygiene care involving the right brushing techniques, use of a dental floss and a mouthwash.
What is the life span of dental crowns and bridges ?
Depending upon the type of material used for fabrication and their maintenance these prostheses can last for about one or two decades.
How to find dental surgeons for dental crowns and bridges ?
Now you can find dental surgeons for dental crowns and bridges from different dental clinics, hospitals and destinations on a single platform, Hinfoways. You can avail opinions from multiple dental surgeons , get approximate cost for dental crowns and bridges from different dental clinics and hospitals, compare things and then choose a dental surgeon or a hospital for dental crowns and bridges.
Find and choose a dental surgeon for dental crowns and bridges on Hinfoways. Make an informed choice.
Disclaimer: The content provided here is meant for general informational purposes only and hence SHOULD NOT be relied upon as a substitute for sound professional medical advice, care or evaluation by a qualified doctor/physician or other relevantly qualified healthcare provider.
