Saving a damaged tooth or replacing a missing one preserves a smile for best personal appearance and oral function. If you have smile gaps or worry about the health of a particular tooth, Dr. David Carlson and Dr. Michael Schuiling can help you with crowns and bridges. In their Wheaton dental practice, these highly skilled and experienced dentists see many patients who wish to improve their oral health and feel better about how they look.
Restoring teeth and filling gaps
Many times, your dentist restores a cracked, decayed, heavily restored or infected tooth with a dental crown, or he may fill a smile gap with a customized bridge. Both services aim to preserve smile appearance, boost self-confidence, restore full oral function or avoid problems with remaining natural teeth. A complete oral examination and digital X-rays help Dr. Carlson or Dr. Schuiling recommend the restorations just right for you.
The details on porcelain crowns
A crown is a tooth-shaped jacket which fits over the healthy portion of a damaged tooth. Oral impressions and a detailed instructions tell the dental technician how to shape and shade your porcelain crown. For proper fit and bite, your dentist removes the unhealthy enamel, shapes the tooth and places an interim crown to protect and support the tooth. When your new crown is finished (usually within a week or so), Dr. Carlson or Dr. Schuiling will cement it into place permanently.
Crowns function and look great for many years--ten or more--when you carefully brush and floss every day. You should see your dentist semi-annually for cleanings and examinations, too.
Finally, crowns restore dental implants and cover teeth spared from extraction by root canal therapy. This versatile restoration supports fixed bridgework as well.
The details on bridgework
Bridgework does just what the name implies: it bridges, or spans, a smile gap created by one or more missing teeth. Typically, the dentist utilizes one or more crowns on both sides of the gap to anchor the artificial, or pontic, teeth. The number of crowns depends on the number of pontics.
Just as with single-tooth crowns, X-rays, impressions and instructions from your dentist tell the dental lab how to customize your dental prosthetic. When it's ready, your dentist will bond it over your existing teeth, ensuring its proper fit and bite with the opposing arch of teeth.
Bridges require meticulous oral hygiene to avoid plaque and tartar build-up. So, follow American Dental Association guidelines for in-office and at-home cleanings, and enjoy your bridgework for many years.
Learn more
For more information on dental prosthetics, such as crowns and bridges, and on the other restorative services Dr. Carlson and Dr. Schuiling provide, call the Wheaton, IL office for an appointment: (630) 653-9002.