Dental Medical SPA

Crowns, Bridges & Dentures

CROWNS, BRIDGES AND DENTURES

Two big reasons we go to the dentist is to prevent tooth loss and to preserve our oral health as long as we can. Unfortunately, sometimes brushing, flossing and seeing the dentist on a regular basis isn’t enough to fight off more advanced problems.

These advanced problems could lead to cracking, breaking or even losing teeth. When problems like this happen, it’s important to know you have a dentist who has a variety of ways to fix the problems.

Windermere Dental and Med Spa has a variety of methods to fix or replace damaged and missing teeth.

CROWNS

Crowns can help with a variety of issues, but issues concerning a tooth’s condition or shape is where crowns really come into play. Some of the reasons you could need a crown could be:

  • Protecting a weak tooth from further damage
  • Restoring a tooth that is already broken
  • Helping protect a tooth with a large filling
  • Holding a dental bridge in place
  • Covering yellowed or malformed teeth

A lot of these problems seem cosmetic on the surface, but the problems that crowns fix ultimately keep the tooth from breaking and needing extraction. After all, the main goal is keeping the teeth where they belong (in the mouth).

WHAT TYPES OF CROWNS CAN I GET?

Stainless Steel: This is the most common type of crown for children because it’s more cost-effective and requires fewer visits to implement. Stainless steel is also generally used as a temporary measure until a tooth can either be extracted or a better mold can be made for it.

Metals: Various alloys (like gold) are used to create a custom crown. Metal crowns are not done as often today as dental materials have advanced and there are more cosmetic long term options.

Porcelain-fused to metal: This is a good option for someone who is concerned that their crown won’t look like a natural tooth because this is a very natural-looking crown option. The biggest downside to porcelain-fused to metal is the potential dark line that can develop around the gum-line over time.

Ceramic or Porcelain: These are the most common type of crown and also the ones that are the most cosmetically appealing. Ceramic and porcelain crowns blend into the mouth better than most other options and can be extremely durable with modern-day material choices.

BRIDGES

Crowns are good for cracked or misshapen teeth, but what happens if you’re missing a few teeth in a row? The gap left behind from a lost tooth can cause the surrounding teeth to try and fill that gap. This causes the teeth around the gap to grow sideways and can cause further oral health issues.

Bridges work by filling the space where the tooth previously was with a placeholder tooth, called a pontic. The bridge itself is secured to the abutments (the teeth surrounding the gap) with the pontic in the middle. Just like with crowns, there are a series of different materials your bridge can be made out of depending on its location and usage. During your consultation, a member of our medical team will go over all your bridge options.

HOW ARE CROWNS AND BRIDGES MADE?

The first step in creating your new dental work is to prepare the surrounding teeth. If you are getting a crown, this will involve preparing the tooth itself. If you are getting a bridge, this will involve preparing the abutments. Once the teeth are prepped, an impression of your mouth will be taken in order to ensure a good fitting restoration.

HOW LONG DO CROWNS AND BRIDGES LAST?

The length of time these last is heavily dependent on where the dental work is located and what material it’s made from. The rear teeth see a lot more action with chewing and they are more difficult to clean at home. Also, oral hygiene is extremely important to prolonging the life of a crown or bridge.

DENTURES

Dentures are full or partial sets of false teeth that can replace a few or all of your teeth. Dentures are needed for a variety of reasons ranging from replacing unhealthy or diseased teeth to fixing problems after a bad accident.

HOW DO DENTURES WORK?

There are three types of dentures available. Conventional Full Dentures, Immediate Full Dentures and Partial Dentures.

  • Immediate Full Dentures: Immediate dentures are installed in the mouth immediately after teeth are removed. The biggest benefit of immediate dentures is that you don’t have to ever be without your teeth. However, the biggest downside to them is as the mouth heals from the extractions, the dentures get loose and need frequent adjustments.
  • Conventional Full Dentures: These dentures are placed into your mouth after your teeth have been removed and the surrounding gums have healed. The benefit of conventional dentures is the fit is better and more permanent, however, the drawback is that you will have to live without teeth while your mouth heals.
  • Partial Dentures: If you want to replace some of your teeth and keep the healthy ones, you can opt for partial dentures. These are often anchored to your current teeth via crowns or bridges, but they offer a removable option to having individual replacement teeth made.

HOW LONG DO DENTURES LAST?

Depending your age, your dentures should last for the rest of your life. However, it’s not uncommon for you to need a new set of dentures at least once. The process for getting new dentures is much easier than when you get your original set because you’re doing less work inside of the mouth.

Advanced dental procedures can be scary and unnerving. But with the help of the Windermere dental team, you can rest assured knowing that we will only perform a procedure when it’s absolutely needed, and we will be with you every step of the way.

Call now for a consultation and learn how one of these procedures could lead to a more comfortable, pain-free mouth.