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What is a Crown?
A crown, also referred to as a cap, is a dental restoration that covers the entire tooth, replacing its outer layer of enamel with a new material. A crown is contoured and sized similarly to a natural tooth, and they come into contact with the opposite tooth in a normal way, allowing for food to be chewed properly. In general, a crown should feel like a regular tooth when it comes to function. Depending on the material chosen for the crown, it also can look like a perfectly natural tooth.
What are Crowns Made From?
Crowns can be fabricated out of many different materials, including plastic, various metals, porcelain, or a combination of these. The different materials serve different purposes and offer several advantages and disadvantages, as outlined by the chart below.
Crown type Commonly used for :
Plastic Temporary crowns while permanent crown is being made in a dental lab Very inexpensive Only last for a short period of time and cannot be a final restoration Full metal crown (typically yellow gold)Very back teeth that are short in height
Porcelain fused to metal crownCan be used for any tooth in the mouth
Why do Teeth Need Crowns?
A tooth needs a crown when it no longer is strong enough to withstand normal chewing function on its own. There are multiple reasons a tooth could require a crown to function properly:
What is a Bridge?
A bridge is a fixed partial denture: it is fixed (glued) to the teeth, it replaces some (not all) of the teeth, and it uses a fake tooth or teeth (denture) in the place of missing teeth.
A bridge is used to replace one or more missing teeth, when functioning teeth are available on both sides of the missing tooth.
The adjacent teeth, called retainers, are covered by the bridge in exactly the same manner as a crown covers a single tooth. The difference is that the bridge connects the crowns to a pontic (fake tooth replacement) in the missing tooth space.
In the case of one missing tooth, a bridge would be three units: one unit for each adjacent retainer tooth, and one for the pontic. Bridges can be made from all of the same materials listed above for crowns.
What are the Benefits of a Bridge?
A bridge is a quick way to replace 1-2 missing teeth. It does not require any surgery, and it is typically paid for by dental insurance as a covered benefit.
A bridge requires two visits to your dentist. During the first visit, the two adjacent teeth are prepared just as they would be for crowns. You may wear a temporary bridge or just two separate temporary crowns while the bridge is being made by a dental lab. At the second visit, the final bridge is fitted and cemented to the teeth.
