Crowns and Bridges
Do you have damaged or missing teeth? If so, you might be feeling self-conscious about your appearance. In addition, you might find chewing to be difficult, so you are avoiding many of your favorite healthy foods.
You don’t need to live with teeth that are negatively impacting your lifestyle and your appearance. At Sunshine Smiles of Orange County, we can provide you with restorative dental treatments such as crowns and bridges. Give us a call today to find out more about restoring the form and function of your smile.
Dental Crowns Are Versatile
Dental crowns, also known as tooth caps, offer our patients a lot of versatility. Basically, they are covers that fit over an entire tooth, from the top to the gumline. They are commonly used to cover molars in the back of the mouth when particularly large fillings need to be replaced. In this situation, usually too little of the tooth structure remains to refill it with filling material so a crown must be used.
Crowns are also used to reinforce a tooth that has been compromised by root canal treatment. After a root canal, the remaining tooth is brittle because no tooth pulp remains. A crown strengthens the tooth, giving patients back their ability to chew.
Other uses for dental crowns include topping off a dental implant. In addition, there are cosmetic uses for crowns such as hiding a tooth that is badly discolored and cannot be whitened or fixing a tooth that is broken or otherwise damaged.
Bridges Can Replace Your Missing Teeth
When you are missing one or more teeth, not only are chewing and speaking more difficult, but society might make certain assumptions about you. This kind of judgment can wear on your self-esteem. A dental bridge not only enhances your appearance, but it will also restore your ability to eat and speak properly.
There is another reason to fill in the space left by missing teeth: to protect the health of your remaining teeth. When you lose a tooth and don’t address the gap left behind, your healthy teeth will begin to shift to fill in that space. As teeth move, this will negatively impact your bite as well as your other teeth. You might eventually experience more tooth loss as a result.
A dental bridge fills in the gap between your existing teeth. The artificial tooth—also referred to as the pontic—is held in place using crowns that are placed over the teeth next to the area where teeth are missing. A dental bridge is a permanent solution that many patients prefer over a removable denture.
Call to Schedule an Appointment
You don’t have to live with damaged or missing teeth. Get your self-confidence back. Call Sunshine Smiles of Orange County today to find out more about dental crowns and bridges!
