Dental Crowns and Bridges Can Close the Gaps in Your Smile and Prevent Harmful Tooth Shifting

Dental bridges close the gaps in your smile and help prevent harmful tooth shifting. They also improve speech, chewing and digestion.

Traditional fixed bridgework typically involves two crowns and a pontic (false tooth) that are cemented to natural teeth on both sides of the gap. The attachment process requires 2-3 appointments.

Crowns

Crowns completely enclose injured teeth, strengthening them and improving their appearance, shape, function, and bite. They are crafted from durable materials like porcelain fused over metal or zirconium and are matched in color to your natural tooth structure.

Dental bridges consist of two or more Implant crowns and bridges Floyds Knobs IN connected together to fill the gap left by missing teeth. They anchor on either end to existing teeth or dental implants and span across the gap, connecting the anchored teeth with a fake replacement tooth called a pontic.

Getting a crown or bridge requires a few visits. The area is numbed and the anchor teeth are prepared by shaving some of their enamel to prepare them for a crown. Then a mold is made of the area to fabricate the crown. When the final crown is ready, it is placed and anchored to the anchor teeth with dental cement. If properly cared for, both crowns and bridges can last a lifetime.

Bridges

Many patients have teeth missing from their smile due to a variety of reasons. A bridge helps to restore lost oral function and fill empty spaces that can cause damage to adjacent teeth. A bridge also prevents unnatural stresses from occurring that could lead to problems such as gum disease.

A traditional dental bridge rests on crowns on either side of the gap in your smile, affixed to healthy nearby teeth. These Implant crowns and bridges Floyds Knobs IN may need to be reshaped in order to support the bridge. A more modern option is an implant-retained bridge. This rests on top of dental implants that are surgically placed into your jawbone, allowing us to preserve more of your natural teeth.

Dental implants have a range of benefits over removable prosthetics, like bridges and partial dentures. Implants stimulate the bone, slowing its resorption and preventing shrinkage of surrounding teeth. This reduces the risk of tooth shifting, helping to maintain a straight smile for life.

Implants

Implants are the most permanent solution for replacing missing teeth. They are titanium metal posts that act as artificial tooth roots and are surgically placed in the jaw bone. They are designed to mimic the look, feel and function of natural teeth. They also help to keep the jawbone healthy by stimulating the soft tissue and underlying bone, unlike dentures which cause the bone to resorb.

Dental implants have three components: the titanium post, the restoration and the abutment. After the surgical procedure, we will schedule a series of appointments (up to five but usually fewer) for fresh impressions and bites that allow to design and fabricate replacement teeth that are unique to your smile.

During this time, we will provide you with a temporary set of replacement teeth so you can eat and speak comfortably while your implants heal. We will also monitor your healing progress to determine when you are ready for the restorative phase of your treatment.

Fillings

Many patients suffer from unexplained pain in their back teeth due to hairline cracks that develop over time in their chewing areas. When these cracks are recurrent or too large for traditional fillings, dental crowns Floyds Knobs IN can restore the tooth’s function and appearance.

We offer both porcelain and zirconia crowns that look and feel like your natural teeth. The crowns can be used to restore a single damaged tooth, or they can “bridge” the gap left by missing teeth.

When a single tooth is missing, it can cause the remaining adjacent teeth to shift, which can lead to a bad bite (malocclusion), as well as pain and other serious problems. Dental bridges can help to eliminate these complications. A dental bridge consists of two or more Implant crowns and bridges Floyds Knobs IN that are placed over healthy teeth on either side of the missing tooth. These healthy teeth are called abutment teeth and the crown that spans the gap between them is known as the pontic tooth.