Crowns & bridges

There are a number of reasons why you may need a crown or a bridge. Teeth can become damaged through decay and through injury. Thanks to advances in dental materials, we can create restorations that perfectly mimic natural teeth. We can colour match them to beautifully blend in so your smile will look as natural as possible.

Crowns

A crown is a cap that is placed over a tooth that has been broken or weakened. Crowns can be made out of a range of strong materials including metals and tooth-like porcelain. Crowns are durable and can be natural looking restorations that last well both at the front and back of your mouth.

Why have a crown?

• Enhances the appearance of a tooth
• Can protect and strengthen the tooth
• Natural-looking
• Fixed in place
• Durable
• Confidence boosting

Looking after your crowns

The best way to care for your crown is to stay on top of your oral hygiene – this means keeping your teeth and gums healthy by brushing with a fluoride toothpaste twice a day and flossing between your teeth. You also need to see your dentist regularly for check-ups so they can keep an eye on your crown and the tooth underneath.

A crown protects a tooth from decay, but not where it meets the gum, and it does not guard against gum disease, so it’s important to keep the area clean and free from bacteria.

Bridges

If you feel embarrassed about gaps in your smile, a natural-looking dental bridge can successfully fill in those unsightly spaces and help restore your confidence. A longer lasting alternative to dentures, dental bridges are an effective way to replace one or more missing teeth. They consist of a false tooth, positioned between two crowns, which slot over the teeth either side of a gap (known as abutment teeth) or they can be held in place by dental implants. They are usually made from porcelain fused to a metal or ceramic base, to offer a blend of strength and good looks.

Why have a dental bridge?

As well as restoring an incomplete smile, bridges can offer a host of other benefits, including:

• Improving how you eat and speak.
• Enhancing facial contours.
• Distributing the forces in your bite correctly.
• Preventing remaining teeth from moving out of position.

As well as traditional bridges, featuring crowns and a false tooth in between, there are also cantilever bridges, for cases where there are teeth on only one side of the gap, and Maryland bonded bridges (resin retained bridges), which are attached to existing teeth with metal or ceramic wings.

Looking after your bridge

Good oral hygiene is essential to ensure the longevity of your bridge. It is especially important to clean under the false tooth, as well as brushing and flossing regularly.

If bridges are well looked after, and that includes keeping the surrounding teeth healthy so they can continue to provide a solid foundation, they should last for years.