A dental crown is a restoration that completely covers a damaged tooth to improve its shape, size or strength. Crowns are generally used to cover a heavily filled, decayed or broken tooth, or to reinforce a tooth after a root canal treatment.
Traditionally, metal-based crowns have been used to strengthen or rebuild teeth. Today, porcelain and pressed ceramic crowns are an increasingly popular choice as they offer an effective, aesthetically-pleasing option with less or even no metal content. They are custom-made to match the exact colour, texture and translucency of your natural teeth. Finally, the fitting surface of the crown is etched and bonded to the prepared tooth, which has the effect of making the tooth and crown combine into one structure with a very low risk of fracture.
Crowns are used to cover, or ‘cap’ damaged teeth to provide strength. They are also attached to dental implants to replace missing teeth, or used to anchor bridgework.
Crowns are built from a strong combination of materials, usually including a metal or porcelain framework onto which is built a porcelain or ceramic outer layer. Modern advancements mean that crowns, even for hard-working back teeth, can be made from strong, tooth-coloured materials chosen to match your natural teeth.
As with any dental work, this is dependent on how well you care for it and the maintenance of good oral hygiene. If looked after properly, it should last many years or even a lifetime.
If this happens and the crown is still in good shape, it can usually be quickly and easily re-cemented back into place.
Restoring your teeth
Bridgework in Malvern
If you are missing one or several teeth, a bridge is a permanent solution which will look and feel just like your natural teeth. A bridge, unlike dentures, is not removable, so it gives you increased support and stability within the mouth.
Bridges are a series of one or more natural-looking artificial teeth that can replace a section of missing teeth. During this procedure, we crown the two teeth either side of the missing teeth and natural-looking, fully functional false teeth are fixed to them, thereby ‘bridging the gap’.
Replacing missing teeth is important in order to prevent stress on other teeth and the shifting of adjacent teeth. Being custom-made, bridges fit seamlessly in your mouth and can restore the natural contour of teeth as well as the proper bite relationship between upper and lower teeth.
If you are missing one or more adjacent teeth, a bridge will be a suitable treatment to restore not only aesthetic facial contour but chewing function.
Bridges are constructed from a strong combination of materials, usually including a metal or porcelain framework onto which is built a porcelain outer layer. Modern materials allow bridges to be constructed from strong, tooth-coloured materials chosen to match your natural teeth.
As with any dental restoration, this is dependent on how well it is cared for. If looked after properly, it should last many years or even a lifetime.