Crowns

Same day crowns are manufactured in the surgery while you wait. Crowns are used to protect teeth from fracture, leakage and decay. The crown covers the entire tooth surface and is manufactured in the surgery.

When is a crown necessary?

• After root canal treatment, teeth become brittle and usually discolour. The crown prevents fracture and maintains or restores the natural appearance.
• When a tooth is heavily restored, cusps have been undermined and are less resistant to bite forces. To prevent fracture and possible tooth loss, a crown is the indicated treatment option.
• Restorations (fillings) don’t last as long as crowns and there is a constant attack on the integrity of the area where the tooth and the filling meets. This leads to micro-leakage with time and the tooth becomes decayed underneath the filling. By crowning the tooth, this is prevented, as long as good oral hygiene is maintained.
• Other reasons such as congenital staining, developmental defects and Orthodontics among other things also justify crowning of teeth.

What does the procedure entail?

• First of all the tooth needs to be strong enough and free of any decay or infection. This may necessitate a core build-up or even root canal treatment and the placing of pins so as to get anchorage from the roots.
• At a subsequent appointment, the outer tooth structure and filling gets stripped away, the tooth is scanned, the crown is designd digitally and then gets milled and cemented in the same visit. No temporary crown or second visit is needed.

Bridges

Bridges are meant to bridge the gap between two teeth. The bridge consists of two or more crowns and one or more pontics (dummy teeth). In certain cases, a bridge can be utilised to replace up to 4 teeth. The crowns hold onto the anchor teeth on both sides of the gap and the pontic/dummy is attached to these two crowns ensuring a solid unit.

A bridge can only be used to bridge a gap if there are healthy teeth on both sides of the gap. If this is not the case, implants or partial dentures can be considered.

The procedure is the same as for crowns. When a tooth is replaced by means of a bridge, directly after extraction, the extraction site should be given at least two months to heal before the permanent bridge is placed. Should this not be done, the gums will recede and there will be an unsightly, unhygienic space between the gums and the bridge.