Crowns and Bridges

A crown is part of dental restoration, and involves capping a tooth or dental implant. Crowns are often needed when a significant amount of natural tooth has been lost or compromised due to decay and/or large restorations that have fractured, or trauma.

Types of Crown

Crowns are usually bonded to the tooth with a type of dental cement, and there are three basic types, which all differ in durability, strength, appearance and cost:

1. Porcelain outer surface with a metal base crown.

2. Pure porcelain or composite crown.

3. All metal crown, which is usually gold.

Crown Lengthening

Crown lengthening is a surgical procedure that reshapes the gum tissue, and when required, the underlying bone of a tooth. Crown lengthening is often needed for a tooth to be fitted with a crown, and provides necessary space between the supporting bone and the crown, preventing the new crown from damaging bone and gum tissue.

Types of Bridges

A bridge replaces a missing tooth by joining an artificial tooth permanently to adjacent teeth or a dental implant.

The materials used for the bridges include porcelain fused to metal, or sometimes just porcelain alone. The neighbouring teeth are usually reduced in size to make room for the material used to restore the missing tooth, and the amount and type of reduction carried out depends on the material used.