What You Need to Know About Crowns and Bridges

Do you know what crowns and bridges can do for your smile? The restorations offer the ideal solution if you want to improve your appearance or protect fragile or damaged teeth. Lorain, OH, dentist Dr. Jennifer Robb helps her patients care for their smiles with both crowns and bridges.

What are crowns and bridges?

Crowns, often known as "caps," are designed to stabilize teeth or change their appearance. They slip over the part of the teeth visible above the gum line and completely cover teeth. Before you can receive your crown, your Lorain dentist must file the tooth on all sides to ensure a good fit. She'll also make an impression of your mouth and send it along to a dental laboratory that will craft your dental crown. Until the permanent crown is ready, you'll wear a temporary crown. Although temporary crowns are very durable, you'll need to avoid hard or sticky foods that can break or crack the restorations.

Permanent crowns are made of materials that look just like your tooth enamel but are strong enough to handle years of chewing and biting, such as ceramic, resin, porcelain, and porcelain-fused-to-metal. The crowns are cemented to your teeth and don't move or shift when you eat.

Crowns are often used to restore teeth that have broken or fractured. Breaks not only look unsightly but can be very painful. Crowns cover exposed nerve endings and improve the appearance and function of your teeth. They can also be used to prevent breaks or fractures from occurring. If your tooth has been damaged or cracked, it's much more likely to weaken and break in the future. When your tooth is encased in a crown, the restoration will absorb biting forces and prevent further damage to the tooth.

The restorations are also used to enhance your appearance. They can be used to completely change the shape of a tooth, lengthen it or hide a discoloration that occurred due to the use of certain antibiotics or trauma to your tooth.

Bridges fill gaps in your smile and consist of one or more artificial teeth attached to a few crowns. The crowns hold the bridge firmly in place, allowing you to bite and chew normally.

Improve your smile with dental crowns. Call your Lorain, OH, dentist Dr. Jennifer Robb at (440) 960-1940 to schedule your appointment.