Porcelain Crowns & Bridges
It’s important for you and your family to have healthy teeth. But even if you brush and floss regularly, a tooth may be damaged and need repair.
Crowns and bridges are made to fit over damaged natural teeth to protect them and help you speak and chew normally. Crowns cup over the whole tooth to restore its shape and size and provide support.
We use dental bridges to fill a space left by a missing tooth. A bridge is usually held firmly in place by attaching it to neighboring teeth with crowns or by using dental implants.
Porcelain is used for crowns and bridges because it looks beautiful, is very strong, and can be made to match to the color of your natural teeth. This means that no one will be able to tell that you’ve had any work done!
When Are Dental Crowns and Bridges Used?
We place a dental crown on a tooth that has been damaged by decay or to protect a tooth after you have a root canal. Other times we may use a dental crown include:
- Broken or cracked teeth
- Severely decayed teeth
- Badly stained teeth
- Large, dark metal fillings
A dental bridge fills the empty space left by a missing tooth. The bridge is usually one piece made of an artificial tooth attached to two crowns. The crowns are attached to your natural teeth on either side, and the artificial tooth sits in the center and fills the empty space. A dental bridge improves the appearance of your smile and keeps other teeth from moving into the space left by a missing tooth.
How Are Crowns and Bridges Placed?
Placing a crown or bridge usually requires two appointments. During the first appointment, we carefully prepare your teeth. We do this so that your new crown or bridge fits perfectly. After this, we take impressions of your teeth.
Then we send these impressions to a special dental lab where your new restoration is created. We will fit you with a temporary bridge or crown that you wear while your restoration is being custom-made.
You’ll come back to our office in about two weeks when your new permanent crown is ready to be placed in your mouth. Before we cement your restoration in your mouth, we’ll adjust it to make sure that it’s comfortable and that you can bite down naturally. Finally, we cement the restoration to your teeth.
We give you detailed instructions for caring for your crown or bridge before you leave our Houston dental office. If you brush and floss properly, and visit the dentist for cleanings and exams, your new crown or bridge will look great and last for many years.
Please Call Us for More Information
We're here to help you and give you the information you need to decide whether a crown or bridge is right for you. If you have questions, please give our Houston dental office a call. We accept many different insurances, but it's always best if you call our office so that we can give you the most up-to-date information.
