When teeth become damaged, discolored, or need to be extracted, how does a dentist restore the area? Fortunately, with the advent of dental crowns and bridges, damaged teeth can be efficiently and realistically repaired. Here’s a closer look at crowns and bridges so you can talk with a dentist about your own custom repairs. 

Learning About Replacement Teeth

Crowns

Designed to cover the entire visible exterior of a tooth, dental crowns are like a custom cap that’s cemented in place. Commonly prescribed after root canals, dental crowns help to strengthen the surface of a tooth, preventing damage stemming from brittle teeth. Dental crowns can also be used to change the way the teeth look. For instance, if the teeth are discolored, gapped, chipped, or strangely shaped, crowns can be designed to correct the problem. Crowns can also be used to support pontics, or false teeth, to make bridges more stable. 

Bridges 

On the other hand, bridges are used to completely replace missing teeth. Bridges can either be secured with a metal framework or with one or more dental crowns. Between the supports, bridges can contain pontics to fill in the missing area. 

There are different types of bridges depending on your dental needs. For instance, some people use removable bridges, which look much like a dental retainer but with pontics attached in places where teeth are missing. Some bridges are made to replace a single missing tooth, while others can have multiple pontics put in place between two support points. 

Before bridges are made, dentists start by checking the health of the teeth that will be supporting the structure to ensure that the repair won’t cause additional damage. 

If you’re thinking about making changes to your smile, turn to the team at Bellasera Family Dentistry in Matthews, NC. With a commitment to helping their patients with comprehensive, high-quality dental care, these experienced dentists can make your smile healthier and more beautiful. To learn more about how they can help, get to know their practice online or give them a call at (704) 321-7929.