Crowns and Bridges

Crowns and bridges are among the most versatile restorations performed by Jeanine Gourdine, DMD, of Smile Center of Knightsville in Summerville, South Carolina. If you need to restore or preserve your smile, call the office today to schedule a visit. You can also book an appointment online to explore these and other advanced treatment options. 

How can crowns and bridges benefit my dental health?

Crowns and bridges can address a wide range of dental health issues, preserving and restoring beautiful, functional smiles. 

Dental crowns

A dental crown uses top-quality dental materials to cover all of the visible surfaces of your tooth. Dental crowns can do the following:

• Protect worn-down, cracked, or chipped teeth
• Cover a tooth treated with a root canal
• Improve irregularities in the size or shape of teeth
• Correct discoloration that teeth whitening can’t improve

Dental crowns are also the final step in dental implants and the anchoring structure for dental bridges.

Dental bridge

A dental bridge works to “bridge” a gap in your smile. Bridges are made of one or more artificial teeth secured by dental crowns on each adjacent natural tooth. A bridge is an affixed restoration that offers an alternative to partial dentures. 

If a dental crown or bridge is a good fit for your needs, your dentist discusses your treatment options in more detail. 

How does the process for getting crowns and bridges work?

Digital imaging is usually the first step in treatment planning for both crowns and bridges. On the day of your procedure, your dentist injects numbing medication to eliminate sensations in the treatment area. 

They then remove a portion of your natural tooth tissue to make room for the new crown. A set of impressions provides the specifications needed by the dental lab to fabricate your custom crown. A temporary crown protects the prepared tooth. 

Once your new crown is ready, you return to the office to have your dentist check the crown for appearance and fit. Cementing the crown in place is the final step. 

Dental bridge treatment follows the same steps. Your dentist ensures that the artificial teeth in the bridge fit comfortably against your gum tissue. Placing the anchoring crowns completes the restoration.  

Are crowns and bridges permanent treatments?

Dental crowns and bridges are manufactured and placed to provide many years of wear. Eventually, however, even the best crowns and bridges may need to be replaced. 

This process follows the same steps outlined above, with the addition of removing the existing restoration before moving forward with the replacement. 

To learn more about crowns and bridges, call Smile Center of Knightsville to schedule a visit, or book online in just a matter of moments.