Dental crowns or bridges are two of the most affordable and convenient teeth restoration (replacement) alternatives available in dentistry today. In addition to replacing missing teeth, there are several other dental problems that dental crowns or bridges can be used to treat.
In this piece, we’ll discuss what crowns and bridges are, in addition to the several dental issues your dentist can use these treatment options to correct.
What are Dental Crowns and Dental Bridges?
Dental Crowns
Dental crowns (also called “caps”) are prosthetic teeth designed to fit over your existing tooth to strengthen, restore its looks and protect it against further damage. Dentists can also attach them to your dental implants to replace missing teeth and restore your smile.
These false teeth can come in different materials, such as resin, porcelain, metal and gold. They can also be custom-made according to the patient’s needs. Depending on the type of material used, the dental crown can be strong, durable and matched to the texture and colour of existing teeth.
Dental Bridges
Dental bridges are prosthetic devices designed to restore any number of lost teeth between healthy neighbouring teeth. They are made using two crowns together with a tooth bridge. The crown and the tooth bridge rest on your gums and replace the lost teeth. The dentist will now cement these crowns on the existing teeth or dental implants on any side of the gap to secure the bridge in place.
The prosthetics also come in different materials. However, your choice depends on your financial situation, desires, the teeth that need replacement, and your dentist’s preferences.
Dental Issues That Crowns and Bridges can fix
Dental crowns or bridges are an excellent treatment option for different dental issues, and they can be very vital to keeping your remaining natural teeth and maintaining your overall oral health. The following are some of the problems dental crowns or bridges can prevent, fix, or manage:
Deep Cavities and Weak Large Fillings
A deep decay or a large filling in your tooth will make the bone in the surrounding area weak and more vulnerable to fracture. Tooth refilling would only offer a temporary fix in cases like this, as the cavity or crack can worsen. Getting a crown will most likely resolve the problem, prevent further damage, and decrease the chances of re-occurrence for many years to come.
Broken, Cracked or Chipped Tooth
A dental crown is the only option for fixing and restoring both the appearance and strength of a chipped, broken, cracked, or excessively damaged tooth that veneers, fillings or onlays cannot repair. If the damaged tooth is in danger of falling apart, the crown will strengthen it, hold it in place, and prevent tooth infection.
Speech and Pronunciation Problems
If your front teeth are missing, pronouncing certain words or forming specific sounds would be challenging, impeding your normal speech. However, dental crowns and bridges will not just restore your teeth but also fix your speech and pronunciation problems.
Root Canal
Root canal treatment helps to repair and save an infected or severely damaged tooth. The dental treatment option, though, leaves the tooth hollowed, putting it at more risk for cracking or breaking. In most cases, patients who have gone through this treatment require a dental crown to protect, strengthen and restore the tooth’s original function.
Enamel Repair
Vigorous tooth brushing, acidic drinks and food can erode your enamel with symptoms that range from tooth discolouration to tooth sensitivity. Your dentist may advise that you get a dental crown to cover your tooth if you have significant enamel loss.
Teeth Misalignment and Appearance Problems
Teeth gaps will not just deform your smile; they can as well change your jawbone or facial structure. Your teeth’s alignment may also shift, causing an unbalanced bite and raising your risk of developing the temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ), gum disease, tooth decay and enamel erosion. Fortunately, by using a dental crown or dental bridge, your dentist will be able to correct these misalignment issues, fix your tooth’s appearance and restore your smile.
Weak Tooth and Chewing Issues
Dental crowns and bridges can strengthen your teeth and restore their chewing or biting pressure. They can also prevent misalignment issues by distributing the chewing force equally among the neighbouring teeth. That way, eating or chewing is made easier, and you will be able to avoid all the problems associated with difficulty chewing.
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Conclusion
Dental crowns and dental bridges are both procedures that restore missing teeth. The option you go for does, however, depend on your individual requirements, your dentist’s recommendations and the teeth that require replacement. Get a crown or bridge today to fix your dental problems, you can do this by searching on Google for something like “dentist Sutton” to find a local dentist.
