Crowns & Bridges

What is a crown?

A dental crown is a tooth shaped “cap” placed over the tooth, to restore its shape and size, strength, and improve its appearance.

Crowns are required to protect a weak tooth, such as a tooth with a crack in it; to restore a broken tooth, or to cover & support a tooth with a large filling. They can also be used to cover a discoloured tooth.

Crowns can be made or porcelain, metal or both. New ceramic crowns can mimic the translucency of natural teeth & are very strong.

What is a bridge?

Bridges are used to replace missing teeth.

They are made by placing crowns on teeth either side of a gap & then joining these crowns together with a false tooth in the space. They are connected together & cemented permanently.

Another option is an adhesive bridge. This has “wings” that are bonded to the back of the teeth adjacent to the gap. Very little drilling is needed.