Crowns and Veneers
Bridges
A dental bridge is a device used to fill the space where a tooth has fallen out or been removed. A typical dental bridge consists of a pontic (a false tooth or teeth) that is attached to crowns on either side and permanently bonded in place.
Without the use of a bridge, spaces in the mouth from missing teeth can cause surrounding teeth to shift, twist or tip leading to chewing and/or jaw alignment problems. The poor position of these teeth may cause cleaning problems and lead to gum disease. Dental bridges safeguard the position of the existing teeth and help maintain a healthy, vibrant and functional smile.
Crown
When a tooth is cracked, decayed, or damaged, a dental crown may need to be fitted onto the tooth. A dental crown is a permanent covering that fits over the original tooth. Permanent crowns can be made of zirconia/porcelain, gold, and other metals.
Zirconia/porcelain crowns typically have the most realistic appearance. For your incisors, canines, and premolars white crowns are the best choice. However, when crowning back molar teeth the material of choice is gold although this is a material seldom used these days ! It is strong and it has a similar wear resistance to your own enamel.
Compared to a metal/ceramic (white) crown it requires less preparation of the existing tooth to fit a gold crown. Before deciding, practice smiling in the mirror……which is most important, strength or beauty !?
Dental crowns can whiten, reshape and realign existing teeth.