What Are Dental Crowns and Bridges?

Dental crowns and bridges are fixed prosthetic devices to replace missing teeth. Since they are put into place over your existing tooth or dental implants, they can only be removed by your dentist.

What do dental crowns do? Dental crowns are known as a "cap" because they cover the entire damaged tooth. They offer the right strength to your tooth and improve its appearance, shape, and alignment. Crowns can also be cemented on the top of an implant for proper shape and functioning. Dental crowns are made up of different materials like porcelain, ceramic, gold, metallic alloys, and acrylic. It's important to know that crowns made up of alloys are more robust than the porcelain ones and are suggested for back teeth.

Some of the cases where a dental crown may be recommended: to replace a large filling; to protect a weak tooth from getting fractured; to restore a fractured tooth; to cap a dental implant or fix a bridge; to repair a discolored or poorly shaped tooth; and to cover a tooth after root canal therapy.

What do dental bridges do? Dental bridges are suggested by your dentist when you are missing one or more teeth. Missing teeth can be extremely harmful to oral health and can cause various oral issues and diseases. Dental bridges are there to fill the spaces of missing teeth. They are placed over your natural teeth or cemented to the implants. The abutment acts as an anchor for the bridge and is covered by a replacement tooth known as a "pontic." The material used for the bridge can be decided with the help of your dentist — it's worth evaluating the location, cost, and aesthetics before choosing the material. If you want a natural tooth-colored appearance, porcelain or ceramic bridges are the way to go.

No more lost smiles with crowns and bridges! If you are tired of hiding your damaged smile, call us today at 678-762-0690 and request your appointment with the best dental professionals at Healthy Smiles of Georgia. We believe in creating a beautiful and healthy smile for everyone.