Baton Rouge Cosmetic Dentist

Patient Testimonials

Bridges & Crowns

Restoration
Bridges and crowns, also described as restorative dentistry, are tools for the restoration of your natural teeth. Restoration may involve mending any damage or decay, replacing lost teeth, correcting bite dysfunction, or addressing any other functional or structural problems. If you have a single damaged tooth, a crown can restore it to its original form and function, while a bridge can replace one or more teeth. These restorations are cemented onto the teeth, rather than being a removable appliance or partial denture, and are referred to as "fixed" dentistry.

Tooth Crowns
What is a crown? It's a prosthetic which is placed over an existing tooth to enhance its strength and durability and to create a smoother, cleaner look. It may be the best recourse when a tooth is fractured, has an old filling, or is badly decayed. Crowns strengthen and protect what remains of the tooth and can improve the appearance of your smile. Types of crowns include the full porcelain crown, the porcelain-fused-to-metal crown and the all-metal crown.

A crown will be the same size and shape as your natural tooth. Not only can it restore the appearance of your teeth but it can also affect the muscles in your face. As a result, it will keep your jaw and bite aligned and prevent other teeth from shifting or taking on too great a share of the biting and chewing work.

We may recommend a crown if your tooth has too much decay to hold a filling, or if it's broken and in danger of cracking down into the root if left unattended.

Crown Technology
Crown technology has improved over the years, and older, less lifelike crowns can be replaced with new ones which look and function just like natural teeth. They are a great option when damage or decay has progressed to the point that filling materials can't make the tooth strong enough.

Crowns are most often made of porcelain or gold but can also be made of stainless steel. New materials are now available that in some cases allow the use of "all-ceramic" crowns. Porcelain crowns are carefully matched to the color of your natural teeth so they blend well, and for this reason they're popular. Some people prefer not to use gold because it looks so different from the other teeth; although if the crown is on a back molar, perhaps the cosmetic issue is not so big. If a crown is recommended for you, we will discuss the types of materials available.

Protect Your Crown
While the crown protects your remaining tooth from further decay, you must protect the base of the crown from bacterial growth and gum disease. So be consistent with brushing and flossing to maximize your crown's life span.

Teeth Bridges
If you have one or more teeth missing, your remaining teeth can drift out of position, which can cause a change in the bite, loss of other teeth, decay and gum disease.

If you have incurred tooth loss, we may recommend the placement of a bridge. A bridge is a grouping of interconnected crowns, designed to replace missing teeth and support surrounding teeth. When anchored by two crowns, a bridge can lower the risk of gum disease, help to correct bite issues and even improve your speech. When performed by a well-trained cosmetic dentist, a bridge is long-lasting (more than 10 years).

How is a bridge constructed?
It takes two appointments. We begin by filing down the teeth to accommodate the necessary crowns. Then we take impressions of those teeth in order to create the crowns.

We prepare and shape the teeth that are on each side of the area to receive crowns. Then we make an impression of that area. When the crowns are ready we bond them to the filed-down teeth. A temporary bridge will be fitted over the area until your second appointment (usually a week later), at which time that temporary bridge is removed and the permanent bridge is inserted, adjusted and cemented into place.

Once the bridgework is cemented, you can confidently enjoy your favorite foods. Bridgework removes that sunken-in appearance caused by missing teeth and stabilizes that part of the dental arch, giving you a more youthful appearance. Now you can smile again with confidence.

If you live in Baton Rouge, Hammond, Port Allen, or anywhere in Louisiana, and are considering teeth crowns or bridges, please call or e-mail us today to set up your preliminary consultation.