Dental Crowns & Bridges Somerville & Medford

Dental Crowns & Bridges Somerville & Medford, MA

Here at First Dental, our goal is to restore your teeth to their natural condition. Our dental crowns and bridgework solutions will help you achieve this.

Crowns & Bridges: The Basics

Dentists use crowns to cover the entire part of the tooth. These dental caps are used to restore your tooth’s original appearance and function. Our crowns can be made from ceramic, porcelain, or gold.

Crowns, however, are not enough to address extreme cases. Advanced gum diseases, severe decay, abscesses, or fractures require bridgework to replace the damaged tooth. Bridgework preserves your natural smile, chewing capability, and facial structure.

As its name indicates, tooth bridges “bridge” the gap between your teeth as dentists place crowns on either side of the gaps.

What Are the Benefits?

First, crowns and bridges restore your smile. It maintains your facial shape (which changes if tooth loss is left untreated) and enhances your appearance. Also, these dental installations make it easier for you to eat or speak.

Dental Crown Procedure Somerville & Medford, MA

Dental crown procedures normally require two separate appointments. During your first visit, our dentists examine the tooth to make sure that it can hold the crown. Severely damaged teeth will require filling first; this will make them large enough for dental crown installation.

After filling, our dentists will take an impression of your tooth, which the dental lab will use to create the permanent crown. We conclude the first visit by installing a temporary crown.

Our oral health care team will remove your temporary crown and attach the permanent crown with a safe adhesive on your second visit.

Bridgework Procedure Somerville & Medford, MA

Dental bridgework will also require at least two appointments to complete the installation. Our dentist will create a mold of your affected teeth during the first visit. They will then install the permanent bridge by your next appointment. In case of a cantilever or traditional bridgework, they will cement the bridge on to the natural teeth. Once the anesthesia wears off, your bridge should fit like a glove.

Patient Education

Crowning or Capping a Tooth

Crowning or capping a tooth will usually take two to three visits. At the first visit, your tooth is prepared to receive its new crown. First, it is shaped to fit inside the new covering. This will involve some drilling to give the tooth a uniform shape. The tooth and the surrounding area will be numbed beforehand. If there is very little tooth structure left to begin with, the tooth may have to be built up with filling material, rather than filed down, to support the crown.

After the tooth is prepared, impressions of your teeth are taken, either digitally or with reliable, putty-like impression materials, and sent to the dental laboratory. There, the impressions will be used to make models of your teeth for the creation of a crown. The models will serve as guides to the highly skilled lab technicians, who will ensure that your new crown is designed to enhance your smile and function well within your bite.

Before you leave the office, a temporary crown will be attached to your tooth to protect it until the permanent crown is ready. At the second visit, your permanent crown will be attached to your tooth with either a resin that hardens when exposed to a special light source, or a type of permanent cement.

If you are dealing with tooth loss, turn to First Dental help. We’ll restore your smile with quality crowns and bridges. Call us today and schedule an appointment.

One Day Crowns

New Front Teeth for a Teenaged David Duchovny