Despite advances in technology enabling the widespread use of complex treatments like dental implants, the fact that conventional restorative work is still used points to its important role as a technique to restore beauty and function to damaged teeth.
Crowns are finely crafted pieces used to build up a tooth that has been chipped or broken or has become too weak to chew with. They can be made from ceramic, a combination of metal and ceramic, or a high gold alloy. Ceramic crowns can produce near perfect aesthetic results that are indistinguishable from natural teeth.
Crowns can cover and support teeth with large fillings when there isn’t much tooth left, or protect weak teeth from breaking. They’re a reliable solution for teeth that are discoloured or badly shaped.
Bridges are used to replace one or more missing teeth, literally bridging the gap between the adjacent teeth and fusing one or more false teeth to crowns that are fixed to either side. Bridges can provide good eating function while looking natural and maintaining the dental arch; they are also durable and resist stains.
Both crowns and bridges are permanent which means once they are bonded into place they can’t be taken out of the mouth. Your dentist at Aquae Sulis will discuss this at length with you at all stages of treatment so it’s clear how your treatment will look and feel before you make a decision.
The procedure involves an impression of the tooth or teeth being taken to make a model which our dental technician uses to build the crown or bridge. While that’s being done the patient may be fitted with a temporary crown or bridge.
