Prosthetic Dentistry

Crowns

Dental crowns, also known as “caps,” preserve the functionality of damaged teeth. A dental crown may be used to protect a cracked tooth, a tooth that has been treated with a root canal, restore functionality of a tooth with excessive decay or replace a pre-existing crown.

During the dental crown procedure, your dentist prepares the tooth and takes an impression of your teeth to send to a dental laboratory. A fitted, temporary crown is created during this visit to protect the tooth while the final restoration is being made in the dental laboratory. Once completed, the tooth crown is cemented or adhesively bonded at a later visit.

Bridge

Similar to other bridges, dental bridges span a gap — specifically, a gap in the mouth caused by the loss of one or more teeth. A dental bridge extends across an area that has no teeth and is typically made up of an artificial tooth fused between two crowns. It is attached to these neighboring teeth and cemented into place. The process for a bridge begins with preparing the teeth, taking impressions and fitting you with a temporary. A few weeks later, the temporary bridge will be removed and a new permanent bridge will be seated. Once fixed into place, the bridge is very stable and comfortable.

Implant Crowns

A dental implant is a tooth-root replacement, to which an implant crown is attached. The crown is the only part you see in the mouth. The implant is placed surgically in the bone of the jaw to which it fuses. The implant crown is placed 8 to 12 weeks after the Implant is placed to allow for healing. Screws facilitate the attachment of the implant crowns to the implants. Implants must be strategically placed to allow implant crowns to connect to them, so that the crowns emerge through the gum tissues in exactly the right direction.

Removable Partials/Dentures

A denture is a removable replacement for missing teeth and surrounding tissues. Two types of dentures are available — complete and partial dentures. Complete dentures are used when all the teeth are missing, while partial dentures are used when some natural teeth remain.

Complete dentures can be either “conventional” or “immediate.” Made after the teeth have been removed and the gum tissue has begun to heal, a conventional denture is ready for placement in the mouth about eight to 12 weeks after the teeth have been removed.

A removable partial denture consists of replacement teeth attached to a pink or gum-colored plastic base, which is sometimes connected by metal framework that holds the denture in place in the mouth. Partial dentures are used when one or more natural teeth remain in the upper or lower jaw.

The preparation involved for both a Denture and Partial Denture are comparable. Impressions or molds are taken of your mouth and sent to the lab for fabrication. Multiple appointments will be necessary for try in and to make sure you love your new smile.