Crowns and Bridges
Crowns & Bridges in Pickering
If you have damaged, broken or missing teeth, crowns and bridges are an excellent alternative to removable devices like dentures. These fixed prosthetics are cemented onto existing teeth and can only be removed by a dentist.
At Pickfair Family Dental, we treat dentistry as an art. Crowns and bridges are an excellent example of this due to their intricate and precise nature. We provide patients with customized devices, expertly crafted just for you. Before settling for dentures, consider permanent prosthetics from Pickfair Family Dental instead.
What is a Crown?
A crown is used to cover or ‘cap’ a damaged or fractured tooth. Often used for aesthetic purposes, it can improve the appearance, shape or alignment of teeth. A crown also offers flexibility because it can even be placed on top of an existing implant, allowing for improved function.
This prosthetic device is usually made of porcelain or ceramic. Our team does its best to match the crown to the color of your natural teeth. Sometimes, gold or acrylic can be used as well. These materials are generally stronger, and often used for back teeth.
Here are some reasons why we may recommend a crown:
- Protect a weak tooth from fracture
- Cover a dental implant for appearance purposes
- Hide a discoloured or poorly shaped tooth
- Replace a large filling when there isn’t enough tooth structure left
- Cover a tooth that’s undergone root canal therapy
Crowns are also used to treat a common condition known as cracked tooth syndrome. This occurs when a tooth has a crack that’s too small to show up on X-rays, or is under the gum and difficult to identify. The patient will experience pain or discomfort when biting into food, or when the tooth is exposed to hot or cold temperatures. If the crack is affecting one or more cusps of a tooth, the tooth may be restored with a crown.
Crowning a tooth will usually require two visits. During the first visit, our team will prepare your tooth to receive its new crown. This involves manually shaping it to fit inside the new covering. Some drilling may be involved, but the area will be numbed beforehand.
Once the tooth is prepared, we’ll then take impressions of your teeth and send them to the laboratory where your customized crown will be made. Before you leave our clinic, a temporary cap will be attached to the tooth to protect it. At the next visit, we will securely attach the permanent crown.
Sometimes, a patient may require crown lengthening beforehand. This procedure is required if not enough of the tooth sticks out above the gum to support a crown. This can happen when a tooth breaks off at the gum line, or when an existing crown falls out and there is decay underneath. During the lengthening process, the dentist will expose more of the tooth by removing some gum tissue or bone. This extra space will allow for a crown to be placed easily on top.
What is a Bridge?
We often recommend a bridge if one or more teeth are missing. Many patients aren’t bothered by missing teeth. But if the resulting gaps aren’t filled, the remaining teeth can shift into the empty spaces over time. This could end up causing chewing problems and a bad bite. A severe imbalance can also lead to gum disease and jaw dysfunction.
At Pickfair Family Dental, one of the options to replace missing teeth is making a bridge. They’re cemented to the natural teeth on either side of the missing tooth. Similar to crowns, bridges could also be made of various materials. Our dentists will discuss with you which material is best for you based on tooth location, function and aesthetic considerations.
Pickfair Family Dental is the GTA’s most trusted provider of restorative dental care. We ensure our crowns and bridges are expertly crafted to perfectly suit your needs. So if you’re looking for a permanent solution to missing or damaged teeth, trust the professionals at Pickfair Family Dental to take care of you like family.