Crown and Bridges

CROWNS are usually advised when the tooth is missing a lot of structure. The crown helps to regain the shape and strength of the tooth. They are often made of porcelain and metal alloys. Metal-free porcelain crowns are very popular today. A BRIDGE is made to replace one or more missing teeth. An artificial tooth is attached in a casting to the adjacent teeth which in turn have crowns on them.
Crowning the tooth involves the shaping of the tooth using drills under local anaesthesia. The tooth is reduced circumferentially by 1.5 to 2mm. An impression is taken to record the changes on the prepared tooth. These impressions are sent to a ceramic lab where a dental ceramist makes an aritificial crown. After the impression, the prepared tooth is protected with a temporary crown until the final crown is bonded to the tooth.
During the following appointment the temporary crown is removed and the new crown is placed on the prepard tooth to check for the shape, size and colour. Once the patient is comfortable with the new crown, it is then bonded to the prepared tooth with dental cements. The steps involved for a bridge are similar to the crown procedure. The only difference is in shaping both the teeth adjacent to the missing tooth or teeth. Special flosses like super-floss are available to maintain the hygiene under a bridge.