How Dental Crowns and Bridges Work

If you keep up with brushing, flossing, and visiting your dentist every six months, you can avoid many of the major oral health problems that plague individuals. If you fall behind in one of these areas, or you experience an accident that breaks or dislodges one of your teeth, you may need to turn to restorative dentistry for help. Restorative dentistry uses prosthetics, techniques, and fabrications to repair your smile and the function of your teeth. Two of the more common implements are dental crowns and bridges. In today’s blog, we explain how those things work.

A Dental Crown Fits Over Your Tooth to Keep it Safe

A dental crown is more complex than a dental filling, but less complex than a dental prosthetic. Dental crowns are tooth-shaped, and they fit over a damaged tooth to prevent it from suffering further physical damage, and from bacteria that may otherwise infect the tooth. Dental crowns can be made of dental ceramics, metal amalgam, or other materials. They are designed to be strong and durable, just like your natural teeth. Dental crowns that are made with ceramics can be treated to match the color and shine of your natural teeth, so they provide an esthetic restoration as well.

Dental Bridges Are Prosthetics that Replace Several Teeth

A dental bridge is a prosthetic made of up dental crowns and pontics (the replacement teeth). The dental crowns are attached to both ends of the bridge. Several replacement teeth can fit between, so dental bridges are typically used to replace a series of missing teeth in your mouth. The pontics are held in place by the crowns, which are attached to your natural teeth on either end of the bridge. That means that your dental bridge uses the structure of your remaining natural teeth to give you bite power and stability.

These Restorative Tools Can Have Multiple Applications

Your dentist can use these restorative tools to solve a number of problems that may occur with your teeth. Dental bridges can be used to replace teeth in multiple areas of your mouth. Dental crowns can be used as part of a dental bridge, but they can also be used to protect teeth that have suffered from infected root canals. Dental crowns are also used to top dental implants, another type of dental prosthetic, giving you a chewing surface and a lifelike appearance to your smile.

Receive Restorative Dental Care at Potach and Mitchell

If your teeth have suffered from physical or bacterial damage, your dentist has tools that can help. The first step is reaching out for treatment. Talk to your dentist and they can help determine the extent and cause of your problems. Then, your dentist can use tools like dental crowns or a dental bridge to rebuild your smile and restore your bite. Schedule an appointment for care at Potach and Mitchell by contacting our Austin, MN office at 507-437-6312.