When you have a damaged, decayed, or missing tooth, crowns and bridges can restore your smile and prevent future complications. At Blue Palm Dentistry in Wilton Manors, Florida, board-certified cosmetic and general dentist Davide Gottardi, DMD, offers ceramic crowns and bridges to rebuild the shape and size of your teeth.
Crowns and Bridges Q & A
What are crowns and bridges?
Crowns and bridges are restorative treatments for damaged, decayed, or missing teeth. These restorations rebuild the natural shape and size of your teeth to improve function. Crowns and bridges also protect your teeth from further damage.
Crowns
Also called complete dentures, these removable devices replace all the teeth in your mouth. Full dentures are artificial teeth with a pink base made of acrylic materials. The base closely resembles the natural color and texture of your gums. Complete dentures also suction to the roof of your mouth, which holds them in place.
Bridges
The primary function of a dental bridge is to replace missing teeth. If you have a missing tooth, an artificial tooth can take its place. Attached to each end of the artificial tooth is a dental crown, which fits over your surrounding teeth to hold the bridge in place.
What can crowns and bridges treat?
While a dental bridge replaces a missing tooth, crowns can restore:
- Severely decayed teeth
- Cracked or broken teeth
- Tooth discoloration
- Teeth with large fillings
- Weakened teeth
- Teeth worn by grinding
- Teeth treated with root canal therapy
- Misshapen teeth
Crowns also hold bridges in place. They provide support for the anchoring, or abutment, teeth surrounding the artificial tooth. Along with holding bridges in place, crowns can attach to dental implants.
At Blue Palm Dentistry, Dr. Gottardi also offers porcelain veneers. These wafer-thin shells of porcelain bond to the surface of your teeth to change their shape, size, or color.
How are crowns and bridges placed?
Placing crowns and bridges typically requires two appointments. During your first visit, Dr. Gottardi cleans and prepares your affected teeth. Before fitting you for a crown, he reshapes the tooth. That step ensures that your crown blends in seamlessly with the rest of your smile without looking bulky.
Next, Dr. Gottardi takes impressions of your teeth to create your custom-made ceramic crowns. It takes about 2-3 weeks to manufacture a crown, so you’ll wear a temporary crown to protect your tooth in the meantime.
When you return for your next visit, Dr. Gottardi replaces your temporary restoration with your custom-made crown to restore your smile.