Healthy teeth help you eat, speak, and even maintain the structure of your face. If you have missing or worn teeth, Michael Abrams, DDS, and Elizabeth Abrams, DDS, at Manhasset Dental Arts can restore your smile with dental crowns or bridges at their office in Manhasset, New York. For more information on crowns and bridges, call Manhasset Dental Arts or schedule an appointment online.
Request an AppointmentWhat is a dental crown?
A dental crown is a tooth-shaped cap that fits over your damaged or worn tooth to rebuild its size, shape, or strength. Crowns can be made out of many different materials, including ceramic, metal, porcelain-fused-to-metal, zirconia, and more.
Above all else, a crown protects your existing tooth from further damage, restores your bite, and provides a barrier that blocks plaque, bacteria, and harmful debris.
How does the dental crown process work?
The first step in installing a dental crown is to prepare your tooth. Your dentist files the tooth on all sides to make room for the crown before taking digital impressions of your mouth. These mess-free impressions are then used to design the perfect crown for you. The dental crown process typically takes about two weeks, so your dentist will place a temporary crown over your tooth before you leave the office.
At your second appointment, the team removes the temporary restoration and replaces it with your permanent crown. Once your crown is cemented in place, it will look, feel, and function exactly like your natural tooth.
What is a dental bridge?
A dental bridge is a fixed restoration that replaces a missing tooth. Much like an architectural bridge, your dentist uses the teeth on both sides of your missing tooth to support the new prosthetic tooth in the middle.
Even one missing tooth can change your bite, cause your teeth to shift, and lead to tooth decay, so it’s important to replace it as soon as possible.
How does the dental bridge process work?
First, your dentist must prepare your supporting teeth, or abutments, for dental crowns. After filing these two teeth on all sides to make room for the crowns, your dentist takes digital impressions of your mouth. These impressions are later used to create your two crowns and prosthetic tooth.
Because it takes approximately two weeks to fabricate a dental bridge, you’ll be fitted for a temporary bridge before you leave the office. When you return for your second visit, your dentist replaces the temporary bridge with your permanent one.
A dental crown or bridge helps restore your bite, facial structure, and ability to chew comfortably. To learn more, call Manhasset Dental Arts or schedule an appointment online.