Crowns & Bridges

Crowns & Bridges in Charlotte NC

Crowns, or caps, are porcelain and/or metal partial casts of teeth that are placed over fractured or significantly decayed teeth to protect the tooth from breaking down further. Applying a crown requires that your dentist reshapes the damaged tooth, creating sufficient space for the crown.

Next, an impression of the reshaped tooth is made so that the interior part of the crown will fit the tooth. A temporary crown is placed over the tooth during the period it takes to manufacture the permanent crown, and the dentist applies the permanent crown on a subsequent visit.

Bridges

Bridges are used to replace missing teeth. Bridges are synthetic teeth that are secured in the mouth with crowns applied to the teeth adjacent to the tooth which is missing. Bridges help prevent the teeth surrounding the missing tooth from drifting out of position, as well as prevent gum disease, tooth decay, or the loss of further teeth.

Bridge application is begun by reshaping the teeth on either side of the missing tooth to prepare them for crowns. An impression is made of the area, and a temporary bridge built from that impression is put in place. After the permanent bridge has been made, the dentist will cement it into place.