You may have heard the terms ‘dental crown or bridge’ before but not quite know the difference between them or the benefits they could have for your smile. Read on for our go-to guide on these affordable and bespoke restorative treatments.
What’s the difference between a dental crown and a bridge?
Crowns and bridges are fixed prosthetic devices and work as restorative solutions to unwanted gaps and missing or damaged teeth.
Crowns
Crowns are often referred to as ‘caps’ for the teeth as they cover the remaining part of a damaged tooth to replace the missing piece of the tooth’s structure. This full-coverage solution can be made from various materials, including high-strength ceramic, all-metal gold and porcelain. Your dentist will typically advise you on the best type of crown material for your tooth, based on the severity of damage and the type of tooth needing restoration. The dentist will also take your preference into account.
Crowns are used to:
- Cap damaged teeth
- Restore a fractured tooth
- Maintain the size, shape and strength of a weakened tooth
- Protect a tooth after a root filling
- Improve the appearance of a tooth with a discoloured filling
- Securely hold a bridge or denture in place
- Cover a dental implant
Bridges
If you are missing one or more teeth, your dentist may recommend a dental bridge to fill the space. Gaps in your dentition can cause the remaining teeth to shift into the empty spaces causing a bad bite, which may lead to gum disease or temporomandibular joint disorders further down the line. Cemented to the natural teeth, or onto implants, the abutments act as anchors for the bridge whilst the pontic (replacement tooth) attaches to the crowns covering the abutments.
Your Crown and Bridge Appointment
Having a crown or bridge restoration at Salisbury first requires a preparation and impression appointment. Your impression will be sent to a dental lab and used to create your custom-made crown or bridge device. You will then visit our Salisbury practice once more to complete the restoration in a painless procedure before leaving with a brighter, healthier smile!