Dental Crowns, Caps, and Fixed Bridges: A Stable Solution that Renews Your Smile
If you've broken or damaged a tooth or you've lost teeth due to accident, decay, or gum disease, we can create a crown or fixed bridge to restore your solid smile and bite. Crowns can restore function to damaged teeth and provide ongoing protection from further damage, and a bridge not only fills the gap left by a missing tooth, but it also prevents shifting of remaining teeth. It can also correct a misaligned bite, improve chewing function and speech articulation, and provide internal structure for the face to give you a more youthful appearance.
What is a Crown or Cap?
Crowns are basically tooth-shaped caps that restore damaged, decayed, or broken teeth, providing protection from further damage. They can also be attached to a dental implant to replace a missing tooth or used to hold a fixed bridge in place. Drs. Dheeraj and Dr. Levenbaum will take impressions of the tooth upon which we'll be placing the crown, send this information to a dental lab, and a lab technician will hand craft your crown. While there are basically three different types of crown, porcelain crowns are extremely popular because of their ability to restore smiles while maintaining a natural look. Once your crown has returned to us from the dental lab, we'll place the crown and make sure it fits perfectly. Your smile will once again look and feel whole and healthy.
What is a Fixed Bridge?
First of all, a bridge is a prosthetic tooth (or teeth) that attaches on one or both sides to teeth prepared with dental crowns. A fixed bridge is permanently joined onto the neighboring abutment teeth (crowned teeth) and consists of three basic parts: the new replacement tooth or teeth (called a pontic) and two supporting crowns. The style of bridge we suggest will depend upon the strength and health of the abutment teeth, as well as the location of the gap in relation to the rest of your dentition. Drs. Dheeraj and Dr. Levenbaum will choose the bridge that will look the best and last the longest. If healthy adjacent abutment teeth aren't available, a surgically-implanted metal post, known as a dental implant, may offer a solid alternative. For a bridge that replaces many teeth, we may recommend a removable partial denture or implant-supported prosthesis.
If you would like to learn more about the fixed bridge option for tooth replacement at the Westford dental office of Drs. Dheeraj and Levenbaum, contact us for an appointment. We’ve helped patients from Acton, Littleton, Chelmsford, Carlisle, and surrounding communities find complete smiles and greater self-confidence with crown and bridge.
