Dental crowns are used to restore the health, function and appearance of heavily broken down, cracked or discoloured teeth. Recent technological advances have allowed for the aesthetics of a dental crown to be almost indistinguishable from a natural tooth. In addition, dental bridges continue to be an alternative to dental implants and dentures in permanently replacing lost teeth.
Dental crowns and bridges can be used to change the shape and colour of the teeth in order to improve the smile. They can also be used to replace missing teeth and to strengthen the teeth.
Dental crowns and bridges are made from metal, porcelain or a combination of materials. They are used to replace the crown of the tooth (part above the gum), or provide a replacement for a missing tooth by bridging the space with two or more crowns. Once in place, they are not regularly removed and are considered a permanent treatment.
Crowns are recommended when a tooth is severely damaged or decayed, when it is no longer suitable for a routine filling, after root canal treatment to protect the tooth from fracture. They are also used for aesthetic purposes to hide old fillings, deep stains and irregularities in shape or size. A dental bridge involves placing two crowns on adjacent teeth which are connected in the middle by a third crown, hence “bridging” the space. Your dentist will advise you if this is a treatment you require for preventative, functional or aesthetic purposes.
At Sydney Road Dental Care, we are proud to offer a single day crown service. After a thorough assessment to check the suitability of your tooth for this procedure, we shape your tooth to make space for the porcelain, then we scan and design your crown using our 3D software. Next, we mill the crown using our in-house milling machine, and glaze it. The crown is now ready to be cemented, and the procedure is complete. Should your crown or bridge be of greater complexity, we continue to offer conventional fabrication via a dental laboratory. In this event, we will shape and scan the tooth on the day, provide you with a temporary crown, and cement the permanent crown once it is fabricated by the lab in approximately two weeks.
Our dentists are proud to offer you the latest technology for crowns and bridges. What previously took two appointments and a 2-3 week waiting period with a plastic, uncomfortable and frequently lost temporary crown, we can now achieve in a single appointment. Our top of the range in-house 3D scanner and milling machine allows us to scan, design, mill and issue your crown all within the space of only a few hours. This has been highly appreciated by our patients, especially if it is a broken front tooth we are repairing. We also only use the highest quality of dental porcelain, which is able to mimic natural tooth structure beautifully, thereby providing a significant shift away to the dullness of old porcelain or even metal crowns.
Preparation of the tooth can take 30-60 minutes. Any decay is removed and the tooth is assessed for crowning. If there is sufficient tooth structure the crown is designed and made so that the tooth structure is restored. The crown fits like a cap over the newly shaped tooth and is cemented into position and is a must for patients after a root canal treatment.
A bridge consists of false teeth rigidly attached between two crowns. The teeth on either side of the gap are prepared for these crowns and the bridge is cemented into place.
In some cases, it’s possible to use implants to replace the missing teeth rather than using the existing teeth. Once a bridge is cemented into position, it looks and works just like natural teeth.
