How Crowns and Bridges Help Improve Your Smile?

Although teeth are immensely durable, they are not completely indestructible. Following years of constant use, it is not surprising to see cracks, stains, and other issues in the teeth. The good news is that crowns and bridges give a very effective technique to regain the functionality of damaged teeth. With restorative dentistry, you can improve your oral health and even your overall appearance and health.

What is a Dental Crown?

A crown is a tooth-shaped restoration made to fit over the tooth to give a protective barrier around it. This barrier ensures that the natural tooth underneath will not get damaged any further. Crowns can protect severely injured, weak and damaged teeth, preserving whatever is left of the tooth so you do not have to get it extracted later on.

There are several situations where your dentist will recommend you get a dental crown. They are usually placed to correct and improve misshapen, discolored, or malformed teeth; restore biting and chewing; strengthen a weak tooth; cover a dental implant; protect the tooth from further damage and injury, and secure a fixed bridge in place.

What is a Dental Bridge?

A bridge is a custom-made dental prosthetic that fills the gaps of a smile with false teeth. With a fixed dental bridge, you need to use dental crowns to hold it in place permanently. Otherwise, you will get a removable bridge with clasps that will hook around natural teeth to secure them in place. The one that is right for you will depend on various factors, including your oral health and if your natural teeth are strong enough to support it.

If you are missing one or more teeth in a row, a dental bridge offers a quick and reliable way to restore missing teeth without the need for surgery. It usually takes 2 to 3 visits to install the bridge. If you are missing teeth, there is a wide range of tooth replacement options, including bridges. Discuss with your dentist the options available for you.

Benefits of Crowns and Bridges

Repair and restore damaged teeth. Teeth can sustain fractures and breaks if you hurt yourself while playing a sport or hit a tooth. You will feel pain if the broken edges of the tooth are exposed to air. Aside from this issue, an untreated injured tooth will also detract from your looks and will make it harder for you to speak confidently and chew properly. Depending in the number of injured teeth, your dentist might recommend a combination of bridges and crowns to give you whole smile again.
Fill in spaces in your smile. You do not have to suffer if you have lost teeth. getting crowns or bridges to your mouth will improve your smile aesthetics, along with your ability to properly speak, bite and chew.
Safeguard a fragile tooth. If you have dental crowns in place, you do not have to worry about teeth that have weakened because of aging, trauma, big dental fillings and root canal treatment.
Prevent chips and cracks from getting worse.Cracked or chipped teeth will eventually get broken in time unless they are protected. Putting a crown over fragile teeth ensures that your weakened teeth are always protected.

If you are suffering from missing or damaged teeth, crowns and bridges just might be the thing that will give you your smile back. These procedures are relatively common and easy so you will have a new and improved smile in no time. Schedule a consultation with a qualified dentist in your area to learn more about these fixes and determine if this is the right one for you.