A crown is a type of restoration which completely caps or encircles a tooth. They are typically bonded to the tooth using dental cement. Crowns can be made from many materials, some are porcelain only and some porcelain bonded to precious metal, the type recommended would depend on the case. Crowns are often used to improve the strength or appearance of teeth and typically needed when a large cavity threatens the ongoing health of a tooth.
A bridge is used to replace a missing tooth. The teeth either side of the missing tooth are prepared as if for crowning, and the two crowns when made support a dummy tooth (pontic) between them to fill the gap. In some cases the dummy tooth is supported by one tooth alone.
Types of bridges will vary, depending upon the position of the missing tooth, how they are fabricated and the way they anchor to the adjacent teeth.
The materials used for bridges include precious metal fused to porcelain, or in the correct situation porcelain alone. The amount and type of reduction done to the abutment teeth varies slightly with the different materials used.
For more information on crowns or dental bridgework telephone one of our team on 01277 658895.
