What Are Dental Crowns & Bridges?

Single Appointment Crowns are perfect for patients with busy schedules. That’s because we can make your crown in one appointment without sacrificing quality. A same-day crown not only looks natural but is long-lasting. In the past, dentists had to use trays filled with impression material to take physical molds of your teeth. They’d then send those impressions to a lab and place a temporary crown over the tooth in the meantime. The patient will wear the temporary crown for up to 4 weeks while the lab fabricated the crown. Today, we’re able to take a digital scan of your teeth. This is much less invasive and won’t trigger your gag reflex. We design the new crown from the digital impression and mill your new crown in our office.

There are different types of dental bridges that can be used depending on the location of the missing tooth. The most commonly used type of dental bridge is the traditional bridge which is crowns placed on teeth adjacent to the missing tooth with a pontic in between them. Another type of dental bridge is the Maryland bonded bridge, which uses dental crowns and metal framework to bond an artificial tooth to an adjacent tooth or teeth. The final type of bridge, cantilever bridge, is a single dental crown attached to a single artificial tooth. This type of bridge is not very common and is not recommended for use in the back of the mouth.

When having your zirconia crown or bridge placed, you can expect a single visit to Dental Artistry. During this visit, your tooth or teeth will be prepared for your crown or bridge. Preparing your tooth or teeth for a dental crown or bridge consists of removing some enamel and shaping them accordingly. Then a dental impression or scan of your mouth will be taken and used to fabricate your custom dental crown or bridge while you wait. Finally, your permanent crown or bridge will be cemented or adhered to your teeth, then shaped and polished accordingly.