Crowns are placed on teeth to restore their shape and function when they are broken down either due to decay or fracturing. If very little tooth structure is left, then a crown is needed to strengthen the tooth so it can be used to chew again. In our office we use either all porcelain crowns or porcelain fused to gold crowns. Both of these types of crowns are very esthetic.
A bridge consists of one or more replacement teeth anchored by one or more crowns on either side. They are used to replace missing teeth. Reasons to replace teeth:
Biotemps: Temporary bridges worn while the permanent
ones are being fabricated. Very lifelike!
Tooth colored white restorations include:
Composites - these are the cutting edge materials used for small to medium sized cavities. They are tooth colored and can be made to look like natural tooth structure. They can be placed in one visit.
Composite Inlay and Onlays - this is a lab processed composite filling used when there are medium to large cavities. These require two visits to complete, and they are more durable than the composites placed in the office in one visit.
These restorations actually bond to the tooth structure and strengthen the teeth they are placed in. This bonding procedure eliminates the need for extensive tooth removal and allows us to conserve as much tooth structure as possible.
