San Jose Cosmetic Dentistry - What is the difference between a Bridge and a Crown?

One important form of restorative (and also cosmetic) dentistry that is performed at Dr. Munira's office in San Jose are dental bridges and dental crowns. These two types of restorations are very important if you have lost one or more teeth over time and a gap exist at the site the tooth was lost.

Have you seen people with one or more of the visible teeth missing ? If you have such a situation there is no need to suffer through it. We can create a beautiful smile for anyone who has lost one or more teeth and are suffering a poor smile or chewing function.

A dental crown is like a "cap" that is made to be placed on top of a tooth. They are primarily used for protecting the tooth structure. A tooth that becomes chipped or cracked will benefit from a dental crown. A tooth that has also recently had a root canal will need a crown, because a root canal procedure removes the nerves that keep a tooth vital and once removed will deaden the tooth, causing it to become brittle. Brittle teeth are very susceptible to breakage, so a crown is cemented over the tooth to protect it from further damage that could cause the tooth to crack and require extraction. Crowns are also used to cover permanently stained or discolored teeth, or for placement over a dental implant to act as a replacement tooth for a patient who is missing one or more teeth due to disease, age, or extraction.

A bridge utilizes two crowns on each side in order to support a false tooth in the middle. A bridge is used to replace a missing tooth, and it utilizes two adjacent crowns on the surrounding teeth in order to do so. The tooth on each side of the missing space will be filed down to allow the bridge to be placed and supported by these adjacent teeth. The other alternatives to bridges to replace missing teeth include dental implants and dentures.

Dr. Munira can discuss with you the best options available for replacing a missing tooth or protecting one that might have weakened or been damaged. If you are in the San Jose area, call StarBrite Dental today to schedule a consultation appointment and find out if dental crowns and bridges are right for you.