Dental Crowns & Bridges in Dalton, GA
While tooth loss is considered a serious issue it doesn’t mean that it’s impossible to treat. In fact, Dr. Houston and Dr. Robison of Houston Robison Family Dentistry in Dalton, GA offer a wide variety of tooth replacement options to fit all your needs and goals so that you regain that healthy smile. One tooth replacement option that has been around for a long time because of its reliability and quality is a dental bridge.
What Do You Need To Know About Dental Crowns & Bridges?
The purpose of the dental bridge is to replace one or more teeth in a row and to fill the gap left by the missing teeth. A dental bridge has two crowns on both sides of the restoration with a false tooth or teeth in the middle. The crowns are placed over a nearby healthy tooth to help support and anchor the bridge into place. The artificial tooth or teeth in the middle, also called pontics, can be made from materials such as gold or porcelain.
Dental bridges are a great option for many people looking to restore their smile and improve the ability to chew or speak, which are often affected by tooth loss. Also, because natural teeth begin to shift into the open gap left by the missing tooth, getting a dental bridge prevents teeth from moving out of place and affecting the overall structure and shape of your face. A bridge also improves your bite after tooth loss so that other teeth don’t become damaged or worn down due to an uneven bite.
When you come into our Dalton, GA dental office to get a bridge, we will first need to examine your smile and make sure your mouth is healthy enough for treatment. Next, we will need to prepare the two natural teeth on each side of the gap so that they are ready for a crown. These teeth are reshaped to make room for the crowns.
Then, we will take impressions of your teeth and a dental laboratory will take these impressions and make your very own dental bridge to fit your mouth. In the meantime, a temporary bridge will be worn until your permanent one is ready.
During your next visit, the temporary bridge will be removed and the permanent bridge will be fitted and adjusted. It may take a couple visits to make sure that the bridge fits properly and that your bite isn’t affected. Once Dr. Houston and Dr. Robison have determined that your bridge is a good fit, it will be cemented into place.
How Can A Crown Help?
There are several ways a tooth can be repaired after sustaining damage from decay or trauma. One of the most common and reliable ways dentists can restore both function and form to a defective tooth is by applying a dental crown. Crowns are a versatile restoration: they finish off root canals, complete dental implants, and fill in empty spaces with a bridge. In many instances, crowns allow the root structure of natural teeth to remain fixed in place while compensating for the loss of the upper portion of the tooth.
In size and shape, crowns look like the top portion of a natural tooth. They can be made from a variety of durable materials, while porcelain is more commonly used for teeth that show while smiling or talking. All crowns have a hollowed-out section inside, which allows them to fit snugly over the top of a natural tooth. The only exception are crowns that are used in the middle section of a bridge; these restorations are solid because they are taking the place of a missing natural tooth. Dr. Houston and Dr. Robison prepare natural teeth for crowns by first taking measurements of the space where the crown will be placed. The next part of the process involves removing any decay and preparing the tooth for the dental crown. This shape will correspond with the crown, which will be custom designed in a laboratory. A bonding cement is applied to the prepared tooth and the crown is attached in place, with any necessary adjustments made to ensure a perfect fit. With proper care and regular checkups, crowns can last as long as 20 years, allowing the wearer to smile and eat normally without risking the health of the remaining teeth. |
