Crown and Bridge
Crowns and bridges are dental restorations used to replace missing teeth or restore damaged teeth. Here’s a detailed overview of each:
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Dental Crowns
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What is a Crown?
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A dental crown is a tooth-shaped "cap" placed over a damaged tooth to restore its shape, size, strength, and appearance.
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Uses of Crowns:
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Protecting a weak tooth from breaking.
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Restoring an already broken or severely worn-down tooth.
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Covering and supporting a tooth with a large filling when there's not much tooth left.
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Holding a dental bridge in place.
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Covering misshaped or severely discolored teeth.
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Covering a dental implant.
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Covering a tooth treated with a root canal.
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In Zealous Dental, the majority of dental crowns are made of all-ceramic or all-porcelain crowns, because they provide the best natural color match
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Procedure for Getting a Crown:
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Initial Visit:
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Examination and X-rays to assess the tooth.
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Shaping the tooth by filing it down to make room for the crown.
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Taking an impression of the tooth and surrounding teeth.
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Placing a temporary crown.
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Second Visit:
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Removing the temporary crown.
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Fitting and adjusting the permanent crown.
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Cementing the crown in place.
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Dental Bridges
What is a Bridge?
A dental bridge is used to fill the gap created by one or more missing teeth. It consists of two or more crowns for the teeth on either side of the gap (abutment teeth) and a false tooth/teeth (pontics) in between.
Uses of Bridges:
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Restoring your smile.
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Restoring the ability to chew and speak properly.
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Maintaining the shape of your face.
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Distributing the forces in your bite properly by replacing missing teeth.
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Preventing remaining teeth from drifting out of position.
Types of Bridges:
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Traditional Bridges:
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Most common type.
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Made of porcelain or ceramics.
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Involves creating a crown for the tooth or implant on either side of the missing tooth, with a pontic in between.
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Cantilever Bridges:
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Used when adjacent teeth are only on one side of the missing tooth.
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Not very common and not recommended for the back of the mouth.
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Maryland Bonded Bridges:
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Made of porcelain, porcelain fused to metal, or plastic teeth and gums supported by a metal or porcelain framework.
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Have metal or porcelain wings bonded to existing teeth.
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Implant-Supported Bridges:
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Used when more than one tooth is missing.
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Involves surgically placing implants for each missing tooth and then attaching the bridge.
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Procedure for Getting a Bridge:
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Initial Visit:
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Examination and X-rays to assess the teeth and gap.
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Shaping the abutment teeth by filing them down.
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Taking an impression of the teeth and gap.
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Placing a temporary bridge.
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Second Visit:
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Removing the temporary bridge.
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Fitting and adjusting the permanent bridge.
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Cementing the bridge in place.
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Aftercare for Crowns and Bridges
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Oral Hygiene: Brush twice a day, floss daily, and use an antiseptic mouthwash.
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Diet: Avoid sticky and hard foods, especially right after the procedure.
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Regular Check-ups: Visit your dentist regularly to monitor the condition of your crowns and bridges.
Crowns and bridges are effective solutions for restoring the function and appearance of damaged or missing teeth. Consult your dentist to determine the best option for your specific needs.