Benefits of Dental Crowns and Bridges

Having a healthy set of teeth is not only important to alleviate your appearance, but it can also be a confidence-booster. But having that healthy pair of teeth is not easy to maintain, to say the least. For whatever reason it may be, almost all of us have endured dental issues at least once in our lives. It could be due to tooth decay or an accident or some irregular shaping, we do get conscious about our teeth when they are far from ideal.

This is where the concept of dental crowns and bridges comes. From understanding what they are, when they should be used, how they can benefit you, and how to take care of them; we are going to uncover everything related to them in this space. So, be sure to follow through.

What are Dental Crowns and Bridges?

Dental crowns and bridges are types of dental restoration that are built to encircle or cap a tooth or dental implant. Usually, they are bonded to the teeth by dental cement. Yes, you heard that right! They are cemented onto your existing teeth or implants. 

This means that they are very much different from other removable devices such as dentures, which you can take out to clean daily. Dental crowns and bridges can only be removed with the help of a dentist. 

To put it simply, they are fixed prosthetic devices. They are used to restore or replace a single tooth or several missing teeth. In the case of a single damaged or missing tooth, a dental crown functions as a replacement.  Dental bridges, on the other hand, are used to replace several missing teeth. 

How Do Dental Crowns and Bridges Work?

As we stated above, these prosthetic devices are bonded to your teeth by dental cement. Generally, the entire process begins with an experienced dentist taking a dental impression of your affected tooth/teeth.  After this, the crown is fabricated and inserted into your mouth.  

This method ensures that strong restorative material can be used for crowning. These materials require fabrication under intense heat (such as firing porcelain or casting metal) and the entire process requires legitimate time to get completed. Naturally, it can’t be done inside the mouth. 

These days, dentists are using different computer technologies such as CAD/CAM dentistry for crown fabrication. 

Bridges are recommended when there is more than one tooth to be taken care of. They cover up the empty space for the missing teeth. The teeth around the missing space are known as abutments and help serve as anchors for your dental bridge.  Similar to crowns, you get to pick what kind of materials you get to choose for the bridges.

This brings us to our next topic of discussion wherein we discuss the types of materials used in dental crowns and bridges.

Types of Materials Used for Dental Crowns and Bridges

Coming to the types of materials that are used for making crowns, it depends on your personal choice. Most people opt for ceramic and porcelain crowns since they match best with the colour of the natural teeth. 

However, people do get fancy and can use acrylic and metal alloys for crowning. Some even choose to have their crown be fabricated with gold. Of course, that would cost you a fortune if you decide to do that.  

Here is a list of the materials that are used for dental crowning:

• Ceramic – These provide the most natural-looking teeth and can include all-porcelain dental crowns as well. They are mostly used for frontal teeth.
• Stainless Steel – These are ideal for kids who have a filling in their primary tooth/teeth. They are also extremely cost-effective.
• Resin – It is more of a budget dental crown which means it is prone to wear and tear more than other types of dental crowing materials.
• Metal – Metal dental crowns are known for their durability. These are recommended for molars at the back of your mouth since they won’t be visible.
• Porcelain-fused-Metal – These are essentially metal dental crowns just with porcelain covering or coating. However, we must warn you that the porcelain often wears out after some time, after which you are left with just the metal crowns.

What are the Benefits of Using Dental Crowns and Bridges?

Dental crowns and bridges can help:

• Protect your weak tooth/teeth from getting fractured.
• Strengthen damaged tooth/teeth.
• Improve the appearance, alignment, and shape of your overall teeth.
• Give a natural appealing colour to your tooth/teeth.
• Restore any fractured tooth/teeth.
• Replace a gap created by missing tooth/teeth.
• Cover a dental implant.
• Cover a tooth/teeth that have been exposed to root canal treatment.

Taking Care of Dental Crowns and Bridges

An important aspect that we must inform you of here is the necessity for proper dental maintenance. Many people feel that once they get their dental crowns and bridges, they don’t have to make an effort to secure the health of their teeth. That is a completely wrong idea. Your crown and bridge will lose its strength and support if the bone or teeth that are holding it in place gets damaged.

This is why you need to make sure that you brush your teeth twice daily with fluoride toothpaste. And of course, don’t forget to floss your teeth regularly as well.

Dental crowns and bridges are supposed to last a lifetime but if you regularly chew hard foods, then you can damage them and you might have to replace your crown or bridge. Keep visiting your dentist every 3-6 months to get regular check-ups regarding the health of your teeth and the condition of your dental crown and bridge.

Schedule an Appointment for Getting Dental Crowns and Bridges

As you have seen, dental crowns and bridges are more than just aesthetic additions to your mouth. They safeguard your dental health. So, if you or someone you know is suffering from any of the issues that we mentioned above, you need to get yourself these crowns and bridges. 

First of all, get an appointment at a certified dental clinic. Then, speak to the dental expert regarding your concern and follow it up with the crowning process. Our dental clinic, 7 DMC uses high-end technology and the expert guidance of skilled professionals to conduct dental crowning. 

We usually ignore our dental health and undermine the care it needs. But, proper maintenance of gums and teeth can not only give you that confident smile, but it will also help contribute to the overall well-being of your body. So, it is about time you take care of your teeth.

References

Sonia K. Makhija, Nathaniel C. Lawson, Gregg H. Gilbert, Mark S. Litaker, Jocelyn A. McClelland, DDS,b David R. Louis, Valeria V. Gordan, Daniel J. Pihlstrom, Cyril Meyerowitz, Rahma Mungia, and Michael S. McCracken – NCBI – Dentist Material Selection for Single-Unit Crowns: Findings from The National Dental Practice-Based Research Network. Available at:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5125852/

Michael S. McCracken, David R. Louis, Mark S. Litaker, Helena M. Minyé, Rahma Mungia, Valeria V. Gordan, Don G. Marshall, and Gregg H. Gilbert – NCBI – Treatment Recommendations for Single-Unit Crowns: Findings from The National Dental Practice-Based Research Network. Available at:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5086281/

Rashmi Uddanwadiker – Research Gate – Study of various molar crown designs and their assessment. Available at:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/272670992_Study_of_various_molar_crown_designs_and_their_assessment

A B Mohamed and Neamat Hassan Abubakr Hassan – Research Gate – Assessment of crown and bridgework quality among Sudanese dental practitioners. Available at:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/233830637_Assessment_of_crown_and_bridge_work_quality_among_Sudanese_dental_practitioners

Constantin Dăguci, Luminiţa Dăguci, Mihai Raul Popescu, and Veronica Mercut – Research Gate – Considerations on dental bridges’ stability and balance for mandibulary teeth with coronary-root amputation. Available at:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/261957111_Considerations_on_dental_bridges’_stability_and_balance_for_mandibulary_teeth_with_coronary-root_amputation