Dental Crowns and Bridges in Matthews, NC

What is a dental crown?

Dental crowns are used when a tooth has a very large filling that exceeds the natural tooth structure, your tooth had root canal therapy, or for cosmetic reasons.

Dental crowns have many applications. The first is to be installed over a damaged tooth to cap the existing structure, which restores the damaged tooth so it can be used normally. Crowns can also be attached to dental implants to replace missing teeth; these implants will be surgically inserted into the jawbone and serve as the root for the tooth. This procedure keeps the crown steady and secure.

Additionally, dental crowns may also be used to provide extra support for dental bridges. They do not require any special treatment and can be brushed and flossed as normal.

What is a dental bridge?

Dental bridges are commonly used when a patient has lost one or more teeth. They are called bridges because they consist of one or more replacement teeth that bridge the gap that was created when the original teeth became lost. Dental bridges can be secured using abutment crowns on each end or by using permanently installed precision metal mechanisms. We custom design each component of a dental bridge to ensure that it looks natural and provides the desired performance.

How do temporary dental crowns work?

There are a few steps your dentists will follow in putting on a dental crown. Crowns typically begin with taking an impression of your upper and lower dental arches to create a replica of your teeth so a permanent crown will fit securely on the base of the tooth being crowned without letting any bacteria enter underneath the tooth structure.

Most dentists take this impression and send it off to a dental laboratory for the permanent dental crown to be built. To get the impression correct for the permanent dental crown, they must shape the tooth base below it, which could leave your tooth vulnerable in the short period between the impression being made and the permanent dental crown being delivered. Temporary dental crowns are used to ensure your tooth is protected during this period.