Repairing Damaged Teeth with Dental Crowns
When you experience dental damage or tooth decay, it’s important that you reach out to your trusted Owings Mills dentist and team at Dolfield Dental of Owings Mills right away. When tooth damage is treated in the earliest stages, we’re able to preserve the greatest amount of healthy tooth structure. We always recommend the most conservative restoration options because we want patients to maintain as much of their healthy dental structures as possible. Two of the restoration options we recommend most often are dental crowns and fixed bridges. If you want to learn more about treatment with crowns and bridges or any other dentistry services available from our team, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Our friendly team is always happy to help you with answers to your questions or scheduling an appointment in our state-of-the-art office.
What is a Dental Crown?
A dental crown is an advanced restoration that fits completely over the top of a damaged tooth to restore lost structure and function while protecting the remaining healthy tooth from additional damage or decay. Crowns can be crafted from a variety of restorative materials depending on the location of the tooth and extent of the damage. Before beginning your restoration, we will review the various options available and help you to fully repair your smile.
When are Dental Crowns Used?
We may recommend patients receive a dental crown in a number of situations, including:
- To repair damaged or decayed teeth
- To replace damaged dental fillings
- To correct and conceal cosmetic flaws
- To protect root canal treated teeth
- To replace missing teeth when attached to a dental implant or as part of a fixed bridge restoration
What are Fixed Bridges?
A dental bridge is a tooth replacement prosthetic that is used to replace one or a few consecutive teeth. Bridges are anchored to healthy teeth by dental crowns. The replacement tooth or teeth are fused to dental crowns on both sides. These crowns are then attached to surrounding healthy teeth for support.
Treatment Process for Dental Crown & Bridges Restoration
Both dental crowns and fixed bridges need to be placed over the course of two visits to our office. During your initial visit, we prepare the tooth by removing any damaged structure and shaping the remaining tooth enamel, allowing the crown or bridge to fit seamlessly into the natural smile line. Once your tooth or teeth are prepared, we will capture impressions that can be used by our lab to create your custom crown or bridge. Before you leave the office, we’ll place temporaries to protect your prepared teeth. Once your final restoration arrives from the dental office, you’ll return for the second appointment. This shorter visit is simply to exchange your temporary for the flawless, custom restoration.
Maintaining Your Dental Crown & Bridge
Following the placement of a dental crown or bridge, you should be able to resume your regular brushing and flossing routine. However, we may recommend you make some changes to the products you use to ensure the longevity of your restoration. Soft bristled toothbrushes and minimally abrasive toothpaste are necessary to limit wear to your restoration. For patients with fixed bridges, you may want to consider using a water flosser to remove plaque from the areas between the bridge and the gums. One of our skilled team members will be happy to review your oral hygiene routine to help you maintain the optimal level of oral health following your dental restoration.