All you need to know about Dental Crowns and Bridges
What are Dental Bridges?
A bridge consists of two or more crowns for the teeth on either side of a gap. These two or more anchoring teeth are called abutment teeth with false teeth/Pontic between them. There are different types of dental bridges that are supported by teeth or implants.
What are the Available Dental Bridge Types?
Traditional tooth bridges include making crowns for restoring the missing tooth on either side, using an artificial tooth between them. The most common form of bridge is traditional bridges, made of porcelain fused with metal or ceramics.
When there are adjacent teeth on just one side of the missing tooth or teeth, cantilever bridges are used. This is no longer very common and is not recommended in the back of the mouth where it can put too much force on and damage other teeth.
Maryland bonded bridges are made of porcelain, porcelain fused with metal, or plastic teeth and gums supported by a metal or porcelain framework (also called a resin-bonded bridge or a Maryland bridge). Often, metal or porcelain wings are bonded to your existing teeth on just one side of the bridge.
Bridges with implant support use dental implants, as the name implies, in opposition to crowns or frames. For every missing tooth, one implant is typically surgically placed, and these implants hold the bridge in position. If an implant for every missing tooth is not possible, an artificial tooth may hang the bridge between two implant-supported crowns.
What are the Benefits of Using Dental Bridges?
Bridges are capable of:
- Bringing back your smile
- Restoring the opportunity to chew and talk correctly
- Maintaining the face’s form/shape
- Allowing you to bite properly
- Preventing the remaining teeth from drifting away from their original place
What Does it Cost for a Dental Bridge?
The dental bridges cost varies depending on the type of bridge you select:
- Traditional or cantilever bridges usually cost $2,000-$5,000 for each tooth.
- Maryland bridges usually cost $1,500-$2,500 for one each tooth.
- For a bridge with two dental implants overlapping three or four teeth, an implant-supported bridge could cost $5,000 – $15,000.
Why do you Need a Dental Crown?
Dental crowns, also known as tooth crowns or caps are among the most common restorative processes performed by dentists. Since they’ve been around for a long time most people know what a crown does and how it protects a damaged tooth. Whether it is dental crowns, a filling or a dental implant, we will always suggest what’s best for your issue. Therefore it is important that you understand why a dental crown can be needed and what function the crown itself serves.
Tooth crowns work by protecting the teeth which have a great deal of decay to avoid an infection. It helps restore the lost tooth structure due to decay and provides strength to the remaining tooth against biting forces. We always strive to prevent the spread of bacteria/infections.
What are the Types of Dental Crowns?
Permanent crowns may be made of several different materials. These types of dental crown materials can include:
- Metals: There are many metals that can be used in dental crowns, including gold, palladium, nickel and chromium. Metal crowns rarely crack or break, last the longest in terms of wear, and only require a small amount of your tooth to be removed.
- Porcelain-fused-to-metal: This type of dental crown can be matched to the color of the teeth next to the crown giving a more natural tooth color.
- All-resin: Dental crowns made of resin are usually cheaper than other forms of crowns, yet they wear down over time and are more likely to crack than porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns.
- All-ceramic or all-porcelain: These types of dental crowns have the best natural color matching of any other form of crown. They’re a decent choice, too, if you have metal allergies. All-ceramic crowns are the best option for the front teeth.
- Pressed ceramic: These caps have a tough inner core. The metal filler used for the all-ceramic crowning process is replaced by pressed ceramic dental crowns. Pressed ceramic dental crown materials are covered with the best natural color match.
Dental Crown Usage
If you suffer from any of the below-mentioned situations, we suggest you get a dental crown instead of a mere filling.
A cracked or a severely decayed tooth
It is strongly recommended, in this situation, to get a tooth crown. When a tooth is chipped, cracked, or broken, it is vital that it is repaired to ensure that it does not get infected. Since the tooth has already been broken and has minimal healthy tooth structure remaining, we want to mitigate the risk and avoid further breakage. A crown will strengthen the tooth and restore function.
A major filling
In certain cases, older fillings are too wide and therefore not secure or the large fillings are broken. In this situation, we would recommend a tooth crown as a substitute for the filling that would look better and also give more strength to the tooth itself.
What are the Benefits of Dental Crowns?
Dental crowns are capable of:-
- Supporting a tooth damaged by decay
- Protecting a tooth from further damages
- Protecting a tooth after a root canal procedure
- Co-holding a broken tooth and an intensely cracked tooth
- Improving the appearance of teeth
- Covering the dental impact
- Serving for a time period of at least 5-15 years
- Easing the treatment of dental restoration methods
How Much is the Cost of Dental Crowns?
Generally, a standard dental crown procedure would cost between $1100 and $1500. However, prices differ depending on the type of crown chosen. Fees will vary depending on the care you require before the final crown is cemented, so if you need bone graft, root canal or gum surgery, the price will increase. Insurance providers also offer different coverage depending on the type of plan you have.
At Perfect Smiles Dental, you will find gentle, understanding dentists and hygienists committed to making you look and feel better. All you need to do is contact us to book an appointment!
