Dental Bridges & Crowns: Which Solution Would You Prefer?
If you have dental damages from tooth decay or injuries leaving you with a missing tooth or have undergone root canal treatments, you might contemplate how to restore your teeth. Researching over the Internet provides information that dental crowns and bridges are excellent solutions to fix your damaged or missing teeth. However, can you decide by yourself which option is best for your unique needs? If not, the better option is to visit the dentist in Phoenix, AZ, to consult on the best option suitable for you.
Dental offices near you presently have various solutions to repair, restore or replace missing teeth. The Phoenix dentist can help you decide which option best suits your needs after evaluating your teeth. Therefore you must avoid visiting the dentist with a predetermined mindset to enable the professional to provide a professional opinion.
Dental Bridge Vs. Crown: What Are the Differences
If you miss a tooth from accidents or extractions, the dentist offers you tooth Bridges connected to three or more crowns. Dental bridges help replace missing teeth but require dental crowns to support the artificial prosthetic. The two adjacent teeth next to the edentulous gap left by the missing tooth help support an artificial tooth between them by acting as abutments. Therefore, you need at least three dental crowns to support a tooth bridge. The dentist uses two dental crowns for the abutment teeth, with one dental crown acting as your artificial tooth. Therefore dental bridges, despite acting as replacements for your missing teeth, require dental crowns to hold them in place.
On the other hand, dental crowns are tooth caps helpful for restoring a damaged tooth existing in your mouth. You can have crowns on front teeth if it is severely discolored for cosmetic reasons or even consider having them on severely decayed teeth without sufficient structure remaining due to cavities or fillings.
If you have recently undergone root canal therapy, the treatment would have rendered your tooth fragile. You must have the tooth restored with a dental crown strengthening it to its former functionality. Dental crowns also function as artificial teeth over dental implants if you prefer having them instead of dental bridges to replace your missing tooth. Therefore dental crowns satisfy multiple requirements, all beneficial to restore or replace a missing tooth or teeth.
The Tooth Crown Procedure
The tooth crown procedure isn’t precisely comfortable because if you need a dental crown for a damaged or decayed tooth, the dentist must file the tops and sides of your tooth to accommodate the dental crown. You also receive temporary crowns over the prepared tooth until the dental laboratory customizes one for you in approximately two to three weeks. It also requires you to schedule multiple appointments with the Phoenix dentist to restore your tooth.
During your first appointment, the dentist renders the preparation process painless by giving you local anesthesia and numbing the tooth and gum tissue around it. Next, a substantial part of your existing tooth is filed to make space for the crown. Next, the dentist takes the impression of the tooth for the dental lab to custom create your porcelain crown. Finally, you receive temporary crowns over the prepared tooth with instructions to care for it appropriately because they are not as durable as the permanent restoration.
The dental lab needs at least three weeks to deliver your permanent crown when you can schedule your second appointment with the dentist. During your second visit, you receive local anesthesia if required as the dentist removes the temporary crown and examines the permanent restoration for color and fit. The dental crown is permanently bonded over your damaged tooth using a special dental cement if everything is acceptable.
Caring for Tooth Crowns
Caring for tooth crowns is not challenging by any margin and merely requires you to maintain proper dental hygiene. You must remain cautious not to allow plaque buildup to develop around the crowned tooth because your natural tooth exists under the restoration. Plaque buildup around the crowned tooth makes it susceptible to tooth decay and gum disease. Dental crowns have a lifespan of around five to 15 years. However, if you allow dental infections in your mouth, you may need replacements faster. Therefore you help yourself by maintaining appropriate dental hygiene practices and visiting your dentist for six-monthly cleanings and exams to support your dental restorations.
Dental crowns and bridges are both beneficial to replace or restore damaged and missing teeth. However, you benefit by obtaining advice from a dentist instead of determining which solution is optimal for your needs.