Crowns and Bridges
A crown is ultimately a cap on a tooth that adds strength and stability when the tooth structure has been lost to decay or fracture. When a tooth has a large filling, it is no longer strong enough to support the forces of everyday chewing. Additionally teeth that have had a root canal treatment become more brittle and require a crown for strength. The first step in a crown is tooth preparation, during which approximately 1.5 millimetres of tooth structure is removed from the tooth’s surface. Impressions are then taken of the prepared tooth and a temporary crown is made and inserted. In one to two weeks the finished crown is checked for the fit and colour of the porcelain before final cementation. When a tooth is missing, one option for treatment is placing crowns on the adjacent teeth with a ,false tooth in place of the missing tooth to create a bridge. You now have the look of natural teeth while restoring function and stability to your mouth.