Crowns and Bridges

Crowns

If you want a smile that’s your crowning glory, you may need a crown to cover a tooth to help restore it to its normal shape and size. A crown can make your tooth stronger and improve its appearance.

A crown can help strengthen a tooth with a large filling when there isn’t enough tooth remaining to hold the filling. Crowns can also be used to attach bridges, protect a weak tooth from breaking or restore one that’s already broken. A crown is a good way to cover teeth that are discolored or badly shaped. It’s also used to cover a dental implant.

If Dr. Dobson or Dr. Gilreath recommends a crown, it is probably to correct one of these conditions. Their primary concern, like yours, is helping you keep your teeth healthy and your smile bright.
If you’re faced with tooth loss, crown and bridge treatment may be the right restorative option for you. This long-term solution can help prevent the cycle of problems that can occur when just one tooth is missing, such as shifting of the remaining teeth, decay, periodontal disease and bone loss. We will help you understand why restoration through crowns and bridges is so important and what the procedure involves.

For many years, these restorations were made entirely from precious metals (gold alloy, platinum, palladium) which gave the appearance of a gold or silver tooth. Those precious metals are still used in crown and bridge work, but now there is the added aesthetic of porcelain, which makes the restoration look and function like your natural teeth. The choice of material depends on requirements for strength, wear and/or aesthetics.

Reasons for crowns:

• Broken or fractured teeth
• Cosmetic enhancement
• Decayed teeth
• Fractured fillings
• Large fillings
• Tooth has a root canal

Same Day Crowns

If you have ever had a crown before you are probably familiar with the two visit appointment and the temporary crown you wore for a few weeks while your crown was being made by the lab. Our assistants do a wonderful job at making temporary crowns that are functional, comfortable, and hygienic. However, even the best made temporary crown is not as good as the real thing. We now have an in office milling machine that allows us to take a digital scan of your tooth and makes a custom made crown while you wait! No two visits, no gooey impression, and no temporary crown.

Bridges

If you are missing one or more teeth in an area, a bridge may be an option. Bridgework is used to replace one tooth or multiple teeth. A series of crowns (called pontics) are crafted to replace the missing teeth. These are anchored to natural teeth (called abutments) on either end of the span. The materials used for creating a bridge are similar to those of a crown and allow for a custom shade of porcelain to match your surrounding teeth.

Bridgework allows you to avoid a sunken-in appearance caused by missing teeth and stabilizes areas of the dental arch to give you a more youthful appearance, allowing you to smile once again. As with crowns, once the bridgework is permanently cemented, you may again enjoy your favorite foods with confidence. Crowns and bridgework are very durable and can last a lifetime with extra care and by practicing good oral hygiene. Dr. Dobson or Dr. Gilreath will be happy to answer any questions you may have throughout your crown and bridge treatment. During the process, we do everything we can to ensure your comfort. Our goal is to help you preserve your smile for a lifetime.

Before and After Photos