• Dental crowns are caps placed on top of damaged teeth. Crowns are used to protect, cover and restore the shape of your teeth when fillings do not solve the problem.

• Dental crowns can be made out of metals, zirconia, resin and ceramics. They typically do not require special care over time other than regular good oral hygiene.

• Over a period, the teeth can be damaged. This can happen for a variety of reasons, like tooth decay, injuries or just use over time. The teeth can lose their shape or size.

• Dental crowns are tooth-shaped ‘caps’ that can be placed over the tooth. Think of it like a snug hat for the tooth. The crown restores the tooth’s shape, size, strength and appearance.

• The dental crown is cemented into place on your tooth and it covers the visible portion of the tooth.

DENTAL BRIDGES

• Dental bridges are artificial replacements of missing teeth

• They replace one or more teeth that can give an aesthetic appearance to the teeth.

• They contain three or more units that fill the gap left by a missing tooth. Dental bridges are also called fixed prostheses.

Why would I need a dental crown?

One may need a dental crown for several reasons, including:

• Protecting a weak tooth (possibly from decay) from breaking or to keep the weak tooth together if parts of it are cracked

• Restoring a broken tooth or a severely worn down tooth

• Covering and supporting a tooth with a large filling and not much tooth remaining

• Holding a dental bridge in place

• Covering deformed or severely discoloured teeth

• Covering a dental implant

• Covering a tooth that is been treated with a root canal

What is dental crowns made of?

Permanent crowns can be made out of many different materials. These materials are:

Metal:Several metals are used in dental crowns including gold, palladium, nickel and chromium. Metal crowns rarely chip or break, last the longest in terms of wear down and only require a small amount of your tooth to be removed. They can also withstand biting and chewing forces. The metallic colour is the main drawback of this type of crown. Metal crowns are a good choice for out-of-sight molars.

Porcelain-fused-to-metal:This type of dental crown is matched to the colour of the teeth that is next to the crown. They have a more natural tooth colour. However, sometimes the metal under the crown’s porcelain cap shows through as a dark line. Other cons include the chance of the crown’s porcelain portion chipping or breaking off and the crown wearing down the teeth opposite it within the mouth.

All-resin: Dental crowns made out of resin are generally less expensive than other crown types. However, they wear down over time and are more likely to break than porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns.

All ceramic or all-porcelain: These types of dental crowns provide the best natural colour match compared to any other crown type. They are also a good choice if you have metal allergies. However, they are not as strong as porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns. They can also wear down the teeth opposite them in the mouth a little more than metal or resin crowns.

Pressed ceramic: These dental crowns have a hard inner core. Pressed ceramic dental crowns replace the metal liner that is used in the all-ceramic crown-making process. Pressed ceramic crowns is capped with porcelain, which provides the best natural colour match. They are also longlasting than an all-porcelain crown.

Zirconia Zirconia crowns are becoming increasingly common and they do offer some advantages. One of the biggest advantages of zirconia is its strength and durability. Consider how much force your back teeth exert on the food that you chew.

Zirconia crowns was first introduced to dentistry in 2010. Before being milled into crowns, Zirconia was used in dentistry for endodontic posts and dental implants.

The bulk material is provided to the dental laboratory in the form of pressed solid blocks.

The crowns need to be made of a strong material, so zirconia may be a good choice for crowns in the back of your mouth. In addition, because zirconia is so strong, a dentist will not have to do as much preparation of your tooth. Zirconia is the choice of many dentists for its biocompatibility, which means it is less likely to provoke the body into producing a reaction or immunological response like inflammation.

One potential disadvantage of a zirconia crown is its opaque appearance, which can make it look less than natural. This is especially true for monolithic zirconia crowns, which are made just from zirconia, although it may be less of an issue for teeth in the back of your mouth.

What problems a dental crown can develop?

There are several issues that one might experience over a period with the crown including:

• Discomfort or sensitivity: A newly crowned tooth may be sensitive immediately after the procedure as the anaesthesia begins to wear off. If the crowned tooth still has a nerve in it, you may experience some heat and cold sensitivity. Your dentist might recommend that you brush your teeth with toothpaste designed for sensitive teeth. Pain or sensitivity that happens when you bite down usually means that the crown is too high on the tooth. In this case, visit the dentist. This problem is easily fixed.

• Chipped crown: Crowns made of all porcelain can sometimes chip. Small chips can be repaired and the crown can remain in your mouth. The dental crown may need to be replaced if the chip is large or when there are many chips.

• Loose crown: Sometimes, the cement that holds the crown on can wash out from under the crown. Not only this allows the crown to become loose it allows bacteria to leak in and cause decay to the tooth that remains.

• Crown falls off: A dental crown can actually fall off. When this happens, it is usually due to an improper fit or a lack of cement. If this happens, the dentist will give specific instructions on how to care for the tooth and crown until you can come in for an appointment. The dentist may be able to re-cement your crown in place. If the crown cannot be put back in place, a new crown will need to be made.

• Allergic reaction: The metals used to make dental crowns are often a mixture of several metals. You can have an allergic reaction to the metal or porcelain that is used in the dental crown. However, this is extremely rare.

• Dark line on crowned tooth next to the gum line: You might see a dark line next to the gum line of your crowned tooth. This is normal — particularly if you have a porcelain-fused-to-metal crown. This dark line is simply the metal of the crown showing through.

To what extent do dental crowns last?

Dental crowns last somewhere in the range of five to 15 years. The life expectancy of a crown relies upon the measure of extent the crown is presented to, how well you follow oral cleanliness rehearses and your own mouth-related propensities.

Does a crowned tooth require special care?

• While a delegated tooth does not require any unique consideration, recall that because a tooth is delegated does not mean the tooth is shielded from rot or gum disease.

• Along these lines, keep on following oral cleanliness including brushing the teeth in any event two times every day and flossing once per day – particularly around the crown territory where the gum meets the tooth. An antibacterial mouthwash can likewise help.

• Dental bridges are fixed restorations that contain crowns (also called abutments) that take support from adjacent teeth and the artificial teeth to replace the missing teeth. Dental bridges help to chew your food better; this can work even in case of missing teeth.

• Dental crowns and bridges are different, as crowns cover just a single tooth, while bridges cover two or more teeth.

Why should I get a dental bridge?

Many people wonder ‘Why should I replace a missing tooth?’, especially when they are able to eat comfortably and are not bothered about the aesthetics due to the missing tooth.
However, do you know, even one missing tooth can disturb the balance in your mouth? Well, it is true! Here is what happens if you do not replace one or more missing teeth:

• Your bite is deranged
• Food lodgement occurs in the gap created by the missing tooth
• Alignment problems arise as teeth start moving into the space
• Subsequent chewing problems
• Pain in the jaw due to increased biting force on the teeth
• Speech problems as your tongue comes in contact with your teeth to allow you to speak properly

Based on the type of connection between the pontic and abutments, dental bridges can be of four types:

Traditional Bridges – These are the most common type of bridges used to replace missing teeth. In these bridges, there are two or more pontics that replace the missing teeth and crowns on two abutment teeth on both sides support the prosthesis and keep the bridge in place. These dental bridges can be made of metal, porcelain fused to metal, or fully ceramic.

Cantilever Bridges – As the name goes, cantilever dental bridges are similar to cantilever bridges wherein, the bridge is fixed to just one abutment. This bridge is usually recommended when you have teeth only on one side of the gap.

Maryland Bridges – These bridges are usually found to replace missing front teeth. In this case, the pontic is made from ceramic or metal-ceramic and has wings that extend from the bridge on to the abutment teeth.

Implant-Supported Bridges –These bridges look very similar to the traditional bridges with the only difference being that in the case of traditional bridges, the abutments are your own natural teeth, whereas in case of implant-supported bridges, the abutments are implants. Dentists will evaluate the condition of the teeth and suggest the best dental bridge for you.

Benefits of Dental Bridges
There is no doubt that dental bridges have many benefits. These include:

• Restoration of your bite and aesthetics
• Prevent collapsing of bite
• Prevent movement of teeth into the gap of the missing teeth, thereby maintaining teeth alignment
• Prevent speech problems
• Balance the biting forces on your jaw joint, preventing joint troubles