Restoring damaged and missing teeth
A crown is a custom-made restoration that fits over a tooth that has been weakened, heavily filled, root-treated or fractured. It restores the shape and function of the tooth and protects what remains of the natural structure beneath.
A bridge replaces one or more missing teeth by joining to the teeth or implants on either side of the gap. Crowns and bridges can be made from a range of materials, including tooth-coloured ceramics and metal alloys. Your prosthodontist selects the most suitable one for each case, taking into account the position of the tooth, the biting forces it must withstand, and the appearance of the result.
Caring for your crown or bridge
With good daily care and regular check-ups, crowns and bridges can give lasting service over many years. Like natural teeth, they are not immune to problems: the tooth beneath a crown can still decay at the margins, and the restoration itself can chip, wear or loosen over time, particularly without consistent home care. They also depend on healthy gums and bone underneath. Daily brushing and cleaning, together with regular check-ups with your own dentist, help protect both the restoration and the natural tooth supporting it, and allow any issues to be detected before they become major problems.
Factors that can affect crowns and bridges
A crown or bridge is a made object that is loaded every time you chew, and materials respond to that load over time. Things can chip, break or come loose. How long a restoration serves you depends on where it sits in the mouth, how heavily you bite, the material chosen, and your habits.
Two habits carry most of the mechanical risk. The first is grinding and clenching and the second is what you chew. Hard foods place high, concentrated loads on a restoration: ice, hard nuts, crusty bread, unpopped popcorn kernels, hard-boiled sweets, bones and stone fruit pips. Habits like biting fingernails, chewing pens, or using teeth to open packaging do the same thing. Ceramic is strong under steady, spread load and much less tolerant of a sudden point load. It is also cumulative. So, when a crown finally chips on a soft piece of bread, the bread is not causing the break. It is the last load after a long accumulation.
Ongoing care and review
Your bite also changes over time as teeth wear and move, so a restoration that fitted well when it was placed can benefit from occasional adjustment.
Regular review allows the bite, the fit and the integrity of the restoration to be checked alongside the health of the tooth and gum, so that wear, a chip or a break can be dealt with early. Most of these are straightforward to address when found early, and more involved when left.
Experience & ExpertisePatient Referrals
Patient referrals are always welcome, although they are not required. We work closely with referring dentists and provide care only for the stages requested. Clear reports are provided, and patients return to their general dentist for ongoing care.
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