Crowns & Bridges

Crowns & Bridges

There is much information about crowns and bridges on the internet. Crowns can be a very good way to preserve the structure of a tooth, allow uninhibited chewing on the tooth and at the same time make it look much better cosmetically.

Crowns are sometimes referred to as caps by patients. They can be made of gold or other semi or non-precious metals as well as porcelain or zirconia. A tooth on which a crown is to be placed does require to be reduced in size by approximately 40-50% as space has to be made for the crown to fit on the tooth and to bring it back to its original shape and size.

The cost of crowns can vary greatly, depending on whom you see and how much it costs to have a crown made, also how much time is necessary to prepare a tooth for a crown. All those factors contribute to the price of a crown. Crowns for front teeth, as an example, can be very expensive as technicians who are very skilled in making crowns that look like a natural tooth will charge a premium and there is a skill required to prepare a tooth well for a crown.

One must approach the purchase of a crown for a tooth, if I can call it that, as a long-term solution which will then negate the need for any further expenditure in regard to that particular tooth for at least 10 years, one would hope. But bear in mind, that like anything in life, crowns can come with potential future complications which we at MHP Dental are more than happy to discuss with you.

Bridges are a means by which an existing gap between 2 teeth can be eliminated by placing a crown on each tooth either side of the gap and these 2 crowns have between them a false tooth, making the whole thing appear like 3 teeth stuck together.

Due to the advent and mainstream use of implants nowadays, these bridges are becoming utilised less frequently primarily as placing an implant does not require the cutting of 2 teeth, which a bridge requires due to the nature of the crown component of the bridge, especially if both teeth either side of the missing tooth are healthy and sound.

However, in some situations, bridges can be advantageous as in addition to eliminating a gap due to a missing tooth, you can improve the structural integrity of the teeth either side of the space and improve the area cosmetically. Horses for courses, you have to asses each situation based on its merits.