Crowns and Bridges
Crown and bridge treatment will restore lost teeth, support remaining teeth and help you maintain optimum dental health.
The Facts About Crowns and Bridges
Crown and bridge treatment will restore lost teeth, support remaining teeth and help you maintain optimum dental health. If you’re faced with tooth loss, crown and bridge treatment may be the right restorative option for you. This long-term solution can help prevent the cycle of problems that can occur when just one tooth is missing, such as shifting of the remaining teeth, decay, periodontal disease and bone loss. We provide this brochure to help you understand why restoration through crown and bridge treatment is so important, and what the procedure involves.
WHAT IS A CROWN?
If your tooth is damaged but not lost, a crown (also called a cap) can be used to cover the damaged part of your tooth. A crown protects your tooth from further damage. You may need a crown if:
- you have a root canal;
- you have a large filling in a tooth;
- you have a broken tooth; or
- your tooth is badly stained, not the right shape or out of line.
Crowns can be made of different kinds of metals, porcelain or porcelain fused to metal. They are strong and last for about 10 years, if you take good care of them. Brush and floss your crown, just like you clean your natural teeth.
But crowns and replacement teeth may not be as strong as your natural teeth, so:
- do not bite down on hard objects;
- do not use your teeth to open or cut things; and
- do not do these things with your natural teeth either.
HOW A CROWN IS MADE
Step 1
Your dentist may make a mold (or an impression) of your tooth to fit a temporary crown. It protects your tooth until the final, permanent crown is ready. Temporary crowns may not have the same shape and colour as permanent ones.
Step 2
Your dentist gives you freezing (called a local anesthetic). He or she then files down your tooth to make room for the crown.
Step 3
Another mold (or impression) is taken of the filed-down tooth and nearby teeth. Then the temporary crown is placed over your tooth and you are sent on your way.
Step 4
This mold is sent to a dental lab, where your permanent crown is custom-made. The mold of your tooth is used to make a model. A filling (or restoration) that is the same size and shape as your tooth is built based on the model.
Step 5
On your next visit, your dentist takes off the temporary crown and puts on the permanent one. Then he or she checks to make sure the crown is the right fit, shape and colour. If it is, your dentist cements the crown into place. Your tooth will look and work very much like a natural tooth.
These are the steps dentists most often follow in making a crown, but your tooth may need special care. You may need orthodontic treatment or gum treatment. It may take more than two visits to your dentist or your visits may last longer.
WHAT IS A BRIDGE?
If a tooth is lost, it is important to replace it with a false (or artificial) tooth as soon as possible. This procedure will prevent your remaining teeth from drifting out of line and causing other problems.
A bridge is also called a “fixed bridge.” A bridge can replace one or more missing teeth and is held firmly in place by healthy teeth on each side of the missing one(s). You cannot take a bridge out. It is permanent.
HOW A BRIDGE IS MADE
Step 1
The teeth on each side of the missing one(s) are prepared for crowns.
Step 2
The false tooth (or teeth) and two crowns are custom-made in a dental lab as one piece.
Step 3
The unit is placed in your mouth. The crowns are cemented to your two healthy teeth on each side of the missing one(s).
A bridge should last for about 10 years, if you take good care of it. Your dentist will show you how to use a floss threader to floss under and around the false tooth (or teeth) in the middle of the bridge.
WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO CARE FOR A CROWN AND BRIDGE?
Care for it as you would any of your other teeth you wish to preserve! Proper oral hygiene, including flossing at least once a day and brushing twice daily, is just as important as ever to help you keep your teeth and gums healthy, along with regular dental hygiene appointments. To make the most of your investment, it’s important that you follow our recommendations—including making adjustments to your diet. We recommend avoiding sticky foods like caramels, gum and taffy, and crunchy foods like hard candy. And please, don’t chew ice cubes!