Crowns are dental restorations that are made to cover a tooth where conservative fillings are insufficient to restore function and shape. A bridge is made to replace one or several missing teeth by joining adjacent crowns together, to span a gap. Bridges can be supported by natural roots or dental implants and provide a fixed solution to unsightly gaps or removable dentures.
Crowns and bridges can be made of a wide variety of materials; entirely tooth-coloured material, precious metal or a combination of both.
In situations where aesthetics are of importance i.e. front teeth, we can use metal free, all ceramic (porcelain) crowns and bridges which are colour matched to your existing teeth. The Porcelain product we most often use for private crowns and bridges at the front of the mouth is the IPS e.Max porcelain. This is extremely strong, highly aesthetic and natural looking whilst at the same time also friendly to the soft tissues. This minimizes the ‘dark neck’ sometimes seen on traditional types of crowns.
In some instances it is essential to make use of CAD CAM created crowns. These are a little more expensive but offer advantages in difficult high load situations or aesthetically important positions. We use the well-known LAVA crown system to make high strength, precision crowns. LAVA tm crowns and bridges are made from a translucent framework of high-strength zirconium oxide. This means that metal free crowns can be used in almost any situation, creating an excellent fit and aesthetic results, even at the back of the mouth
FAQ’s
What happens when I have my new crown made?
Once your dentist and you have decided if a crown is the best treatment for you in order to protect the underlying root, enhance the appearance and restore function in the tooth, the dentist will reshape the tooth that needs treatment so that there is room for the porcelain, take impressions of the teeth and make a temporary crown.
The dentist will discuss the shape, size, position and colour of the crown or bridge. The impressions are then collected by the technician who will manufacture your crown/bridge according to the dentist’s specifications.
When you come back for the fitting appointment the dentist will try in the crown or bridge to verify fit and appearance. Once any adjustments are done and you have approved the outcome, the dentist will cement the restoration in with special cement to permanently protect the tooth.
