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Crowns and Bridges

If you have a damaged or decayed tooth, our Dr. Becker can help you choose the best solution. Crowns and bridges are custom-fitted tooth prosthetics that function and look like natural, healthy teeth. 

Crowns

A crown, otherwise known as a cap, is custom-fitted to your bite and is placed over your natural tooth or dental implant. We recommend this procedure for those who have an intact tooth without root rot. The tooth may be damaged or decayed on the surface.

What is a crown?
A crown is a cap that covers most or all of a tooth. Crowns can be made from a variety of materials.

Gold Crown—lasts the longest, never chips or cracks, wears at about the same rate as natural teeth, but some people do not want to show gold, particularly in the front of the mouth.example
 

Porcelain fused to metal Crown—tooth colored, long lasting, has the strength of metal on the inside with porcelain fused to the outside, but porcelain can wear the opposing tooth since porcelain is harder than tooth enamel. Since porcelain is glass it can chip or crack, while this doesn’t happen very often it is hard to repair when it does.

All porcelain crown—the most esthetic, not as strong or long lasting as gold or porcelain fused to metal but technology has improved the success of this type of crown over the past few years. Most suited for the front of the mouth.Example 1: Severe wear to natural teeth – Smile and function restored with all ceramic crowns.

Procedure:

1. We will reduce the problematic tooth for a proper crown fit

2. An impression will be taken of your bite for crown fabrication

3. The color of porcelain prosthetics can then be customized

4. We will fit you with a temporary crown until the lab makes your permanent one

5. You will come in again for permanent crown fitting

Bridges

To replace a missing tooth that has neighboring teeth with decay and/or large fillings, or a tooth that has been missing for a long time (i.e., with gum recession around the area), we recommend bridges as opposed to dental implants. 

It is glued into the mouth and thus is not removable. It functions and looks like real teeth. Bridges can be made from the same materials as crowns are made, however, all porcelain bridges have not proven to be as successful as gold or porcelain fused to metal.

Types of Bridges:

• Traditional — Caps are bonded over teeth that lie on either side of the missing one
• Cantilever — Cap is bonded over a single tooth next to the missing one
• Resin-bonded — Porcelain or plastic teeth with gums that are supported by metal “wings”