Crowns and Bridges

A tooth-supported crown is a type of restoration which fits overtop of your natural tooth. A crown may be made on a tooth for one of the following reasons: to strengthen a tooth which is weakened due to large fillings/root canal treatment/large cavities, to change the shape of a tooth, to change the colour/appearance of a tooth, to improve your bite, or to restore lost tooth structure. A crown generally requires two appointments. The first appointment involves preparing the tooth structure to allow enough space to create the crown, creating a temporary crown, and taking an impression which is sent to a dental lab. The second appointment involves checking the fit and colour of the final crown, cementing the crown, and ensuring the bite harmonizes with the other teeth in the mouth.
Tooth-supported bridges are fixed (non-removable) dental prostheses which are used to replace missing teeth. A bridge uses the support of the teeth beside the missing tooth to replace the missing tooth. The missing tooth is replaced with a “pontic” which is positioned above the gums. “Retainers” are parts of the bridge which fit over the teeth beside the missing tooth.

