What is crown and bridge ?

Crown :

• It is like a cap or shell that covers entire tooth structure
• It imparts strength to the remaining tooth structure when placed on damaged tooth

Bridge :

• It is a multiple unit prosthesis
• Artificial teeth which replaces the missing natural teeth is fused with crowns placed on adjacent teeth

Why is crown is required ?

• For root canal treated tooth
• Extensive decay
• Portion of tooth which has been broken
• Tooth which has developed cracks
• To make discoloured tooth look more like a natural one

Why is bridge required ?

• For single or multiple extracted ( removed ) teeth
• For congenitally ( by birth ) missing teeth

What if missing or broken teeth are not replaced by bridge?

• There will be drifting and shifting of adjacent teeth causing abnormal bite and occlusion resulting in headache or migraine problems
• Bone loss in the area of missing teeth is observed
• There will be increase in the biting stress on the other remaining teeth
• There will be gap between the remaining teeth which increases gradually , compromising on aesthetics gradually losing the natural smile

What are the steps of preparation in crown / bridge ?

• The tooth is anaesthesia if required
• Grinding of teeth for the preparation
• Impression taken of the prepared teeth
• Fabrication of crown or bridge in laboratory
• Fixation of the crown or bridge with the cement

Which are the types of crowns /bridges used routinely ?

PFM( porcelain fused with metal) (ceramic) :

Good aesthetic ( cosmetic )

Good strength

All ceramic :

Excellent esthetic ( cosmetic )

Generally used in front teeth

Zirconia :

Computerized designning and maling

Excellent esthetic ( cosmetic )

Excellent strength

Used both in front as well as back teeth

Metal :

Poor esthetic

Good strength

What are the risk involved in Bridge preparation ?

• Need to grind (preparation) of the adjacent teeth
• In some case root canal treatment beacomes a complusion of the teeth to be prepared
• Best alternative to bridge are Dental Implants ( feel free to ask for further details )

What are the care and maintenace to be done ?

• Dental decay , gum disease and crown / root fracture are common cause of failure
• Good oral hygiene and 6 monthly dental checks ups will extend the life of a crown or bridge
• Avoid extremely sticky food which could unseat the cemented crown
• Avoid biting into extremely hard objects which may cause chipping of crown and damage tooth structure

Before/After