Crown & Bridge Procedures

Teeth can be lost for various reasons. Periodontal disease, dental decay and trauma are three major etiologies for loss of teeth. One of the treatments available for replacement of missing teeth is fixed prosthesis, also known as "crown and bridge." A crown and bridge treatment allows the dentist to provide artificial teeth for patients that are aesthetically pleasing and non-removable. Patients can treat them like their own teeth.

At Eastlake Dentistry, Dr. Tin and associates offer various types of crowns, including porcelain or ceramic crowns that can be matched to the color of your teeth, gold, and other metal alloys. These alloys are usually stronger than porcelain and are generally recommended for back teeth. Porcelain bonded to a metal shell is often used because it is both strong and attractive. Pure cosmetic porcelain crowns are also available for front teeth.

Bridges are commonly used to replace one or more missing teeth. They span the space where the teeth are missing and are cemented to the natural teeth or implants surrounding that space. These teeth, called abutments, serve as anchors for the bridge. A replacement tooth, called a pontic, is attached to the crowns that cover the abutments. As with crowns, you have a choice of materials for bridges. Talk with Dr. Tin to help you decide which to use, based on the location of the missing tooth (or teeth), its function, aesthetic considerations and cost. Porcelain or ceramic bridges can be matched to the color of your natural teeth.