Crowns & Bridges

DENTAL CROWNS

Crowns are restorations that cover over, encase and protect the natural tooth. Crowns help to restore both function and aesthetics to teeth in a predictable long-term manner. Crowns are recommended when what is left of the tooth is unlikely to support a large filling in the long term, making it vulnerable to further cracking and fracturing.  A crown may be indicated when a tooth breaks, is found to be cracked, or has recently had Root Canal Treatment.

The process of making a crown occurs over two appointments which are about two weeks apart. The first appointment involves preparing the tooth to the desired shape which involves removing the outer 1-2mm of tooth structure from the sides and the biting surface of the tooth. This creates room for the crown. Impressions are taken of the prepared tooth. The ceramist uses these impressions to fabricate the final crown. A temporary plastic crown is created to protect the tooth until the next appointment in about two weeks time. The second appointment involves removing the temporary crown, checking the fit and aesthetics of the permanent crown, before ultimately cementing it into place.

Crowns are constructed from various types of materials. All Ceramic crowns are entirely made of porcelain and are used on front teeth where aesthetics is the priority. Porcelain Bonded-to-Metal crowns combine the aesthetics of porcelain on the outside of the crown with the strength of a gold alloy on the inside. Gold alloy crowns are the most durable and long lasting, and are considered on back teeth if function rather than aesthetics is the priority.

At the Melbourne Dental Group, we will use the most appropriate crown material for your situation. We will also work closely with the local Dental Laboratory to ensure the technical excellence of your finished crown. We do not use cheaper overseas laboratories.

DENTAL BRIDGES

A dental bridge is one of the treatment options we have to permanently replace a missing tooth. A dental bridge literally  bridges the gap created by one or more missing teeth. A bridge is made up of two or more crowns fitted to the teeth on either side of the gap, and a false tooth / teeth permanently attached to, and retained by the crowns.