Dental crowns and bridges are both integral parts of restorative dentistry. Knowing which one is right for you can depend on a variety of factors including whether you need to repair or replace a tooth or multiple teeth and whether you are interested in getting dental implants.

At our office in Aberdeen, SD, we will be happy to look at your teeth and answer any questions you have about your restorative options.

We want to help you make the right decision for your smile.

You can make an appointment at Aberdeen Smiles by calling 605-277-9049 or by filling out our online form.

The Basics Of Crowns And Bridges

Let’s start with the basics. Dental crowns and bridges are replacements for the natural crowns of your teeth. The crown is the part of a tooth that is visible, while the root is the part that is below the gumline.

Historically, people have made replacement crowns out of everything from seashells to stones. Thankfully, modern dental crowns are made of durable ceramic materials that look virtually the same as natural teeth.

When you get a crown or a bridge, you can trust that it will look like part of your natural smile, and just as important, it will restore the function of your tooth or teeth.

Repairing Damaged Teeth With Dental Crowns

Your teeth can become damaged in a variety of ways. Teeth break and chip. Teeth crack. Teeth can have cavities.

For each of these problems, a dental crown may be just what you need. The first step is preventing the problem from getting worse. By reshaping a tooth, we can remove the weak parts and use the healthy remaining part to support the dental crown.

You may need to wear a temporary crown while your permanent crown is being made. Once it is ready, our team of dental professionals can bond it to your tooth to bring back its full function.

We can do a similar procedure to make cosmetic improvements to your smile as well. Some reasons for this might include a tooth that is noticeably darker than the rest of your smile, a misshapen tooth, or a tooth that appears small compared to your other teeth.

Replacing A Tooth With A Dental Crown Or Bridge

This is when things become a little bit more complicated. If you lose a tooth to decay or gum disease, have a tooth removed, or have a tooth knocked out, we encourage you to replace it as soon as you are able. This is good both for your self-confidence and for the function of your mouth.

You do have a couple ways to do that. The first is a traditional bridge. This starts with our dental professionals reshaping the two teeth on either side of your missing tooth in the same way we reshape a tooth for a dental crown.

Your bridge will be made of three crowns, two of which will be attached to these teeth for support. The crown in the middle will fill the gap in your smile. Since this is made of the same materials as our dental crowns, it too will look and function like your natural teeth.

Another option allows you to replace your missing tooth without doing anything to the neighboring teeth. By getting a dental implant, you will be replacing the root of your lost tooth.

The implant can support a dental crown, which effectively gives you a complete but artificial tooth. When the crown is placed on the implant, no one will be able to see it. As far as they will know, all your teeth are real.

Replacing Multiple Teeth With A Dental Bridge

If you need to replace more than one missing tooth, a traditional bridge can be used. However, it may be necessary to make it even larger and to grind down multiple teeth to provide enough support to hold it in place.

Or you could turn to dental implants once again. By placing more than one implant in your jawbone, you can provide more than adequate stability and security for a dental bridge.

When you do this, you also don’t need to do anything to the other healthy teeth in your mouth.

How Can We Help You?

If you have damaged or missing teeth, you don’t have to live that way. We can give you back your smile and the function of all your teeth.

Let our team at Aberdeen Smiles help you. Call us at 605-277-9049 or contact us online to request a consultation.

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