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 attaching to teeth or implants next to the gap. Crowns and bridges can be made from a range of materials, including tooth-coloured ceramics and metal alloys. Your prosthodontist will recommend the most suitable material and discuss the options with you, taking into account the position of the tooth, the biting forces it must withstand, and appearance. Your prosthodontist will talk through the risks, the alternatives and what suits your situation.
Caring for your crown or bridge
With good daily care and regular check-ups, crowns and bridges can give many years of service. Like natural teeth, they are not immune to problems: the tooth beneath a crown can still decay at the margins, particularly without consistent home care, and the restoration itself can chip, wear, or loosen over time. 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 much 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. The effect of that loading 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 and, in time, repair or replacement.
Regular review with your dentist, and with your prosthodontist where needed, 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. These are usually simpler to address when found early, and more involved when left.
This page is general information and doesn’t replace an individual assessment. All dental treatment carries risks, which your prosthodontist will discuss with you.
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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