Do you ever wonder what it would be like to take charge of your oral health and ensure your teeth are protected and looking their best?
When it comes to dental care, there are a variety of options available. Crowns, bridges, and dentures are three popular solutions for missing or damaged teeth.
But what exactly are they? Many of us understand how important it is to care for our teeth, but only some are familiar with the treatments available to help us do just that.
In this blog post, we’ll discuss what each procedure entails and the benefits it can provide. By the end of this post, you will have a better understanding of what crowns, bridges, and dentures are and know to make a decision on which one is the right choice for you.
Crowns
A dental crown is a tooth-shaped “cap” that covers a damaged or decayed tooth. It can be made of different materials depending on the patient’s needs and the tooth’s circumstances. The materials include metal, ceramic, or a combination of the two, making a crown a great way to restore the strength and integrity of a tooth and improve its appearance.
When a tooth is decayed or broken and can’t be saved with a filling or other types of treatment, a dental crown is often recommended to restore its strength and integrity. Reasons someone might need a crown include:
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Hold a bridge in place: A bridge may be used to replace one or more missing teeth in a row.
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Attach a dental prosthesis (like a partial denture or implant-supported denture): Dentures and partial dentures can be a great alternative to missing teeth.
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Protect a tooth following a root canal: A root canal in an infected tooth is the only way to save a tooth when the nerve has become infected or has died.
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Support a tooth with a large filling or after other extensive restorations: Large fillings often require a crown’s assistance to ensure the tooth’s structural stability.
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Reduce sensitivity to heat and cold due to large fillings: Large fillings can become painful over time as the filling expands and contracts due to temperature changes in the mouth.
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Restore a fractured tooth: If you have been involved in an auto accident or knocked your tooth out entirely, you may need a crown to protect the structure of the remaining tooth and restore its appearance.
On average, dental crowns can last for at least ten years or more before needing to be replaced. Patients must be careful not to bite into hard objects like ice or hard candy because this may cause the crown to crack or break.
Crowns are a good option for restoring a natural-looking appearance to teeth that have had a filling or other restoration used on them in the past.
What Is the Procedure for Getting a Dental Crown?
Before placing a dental crown, also known as a “tooth cap,” the dentist will x-ray the patient’s mouth and jawbone to rule out potential problems such as tooth decay and fractures.
An X-ray showing an infected pulp could require a root canal procedure before receiving additional dental care, followed by shaping the tooth so the crown will fit correctly over the damaged tooth. Food and drink can get caught in the gaps, causing infection risks, uneven bites, jaw pain, and other problems.
After the patient has selected a crown style and treated any cavities, the implant procedure can begin.
Bridges
A dental bridge is another restoration used to replace missing teeth in patients who have lost one or more teeth due to trauma or decay. Bridges are typically created by placing two crowns on either side of the space left by missing teeth and attaching prosthetic teeth between them.
There are three main types of bridges available, depending on the situation:
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Cantilever Bridges: A crown on the neighbouring tooth and no teeth on the bridge’s other side. This type of bridge is typically used to replace a few missing teeth in a row and is less expensive than other options, although it is not as durable as other types of bridges.
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Maryland Bonded Bridges: Porcelain-fused to metal teeth and a framework in a resin-bonded bridge are frequently used for the front teeth. These bridges can be bonded without metal and are considered the most aesthetically pleasing option due to their natural colour.
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Traditional Fixed Bridges: Two crowns are placed on nearby teeth to hold the bridge in place. These bridges are permanent and cannot be removed once placed.
What Is the Procedure for Getting a Dental Bridge?
Typically, bridges are constructed over several dental sessions. Before placing the crown, the abutment teeth need to be altered.
To build crowns that have the proper shape for the teeth, imprints of the teeth are taken. The impressions are then submitted to a dental laboratory, where, usually over the course of a few weeks, the crowns are made. Numerous dental appointments are typically necessary.
The second dental appointment is when the crowns are fitted to the teeth and cemented in place using dental cement. The dental bridge can fill the space left by removing the two crowns after they have been placed.
After a few weeks of successful use, permanent cement is applied after the temporary cement has been used to assess how well the bridge fits.
Dentures
For aesthetic reasons, dentures are movable prosthetic devices that replace lost upper or lower sets of teeth and associated tissues.
As opposed to partial dentures, which are used when only a few of your natural teeth are missing from your smile, complete dentures replace all of your upper or lower natural teeth. Depending on your needs and financial limitations, dentures can be fashioned from various materials, such as porcelain, plastic, or a strong resin for more modern dentures.
Due to wear and tear, dentures should typically be updated every 5–7 years. However, depending on how well they suit your mouth structure over time,, as your jawbone changes shape with age, they may need modifying more frequently.
What Is the Procedure for Getting Dentures
Dentures come in various forms, including implant dentures and detachable dentures.
The more conventional choice of removable dentures requires the patient to take them out before bedtime. Since the dentist will affix the implant dentures directly to the jaw, they are not detachable.
Most orthodontists won’t suggest implant dentures unless the patient is in good health and has no more usable teeth.
Conclusion
Several options are available when restoring missing or damaged teeth, such as crowns, bridges, and dentures.
Depending on what you’re looking for in a dental restoration solution for yourself or someone else who needs help with their smile health, each offers distinct advantages! For example, crowns offer strength and stability, while bridges offer convenience when multiple adjacent teeth need replacing at once without needing individual treatments for each tooth involved; dentures provide an economical alternative when multiple sets of upper or lower natural teeth need replacing simultaneously due to damage or decay issues that don’t allow them to remain functional any longer without intervention by a qualified dentist.
Whichever option you choose, make sure you research thoroughly beforehand so that you know exactly what kind of results (both short-term and long-term) each type offers before making any decisions about which route is best suited for your specific needs!