Crowns and Bridges

Crowns and bridges are dental restorations that repair damage and/or decay, restore your smile, and improve your oral health. At Maple Dental, cosmetic and family dentist Gurpreet Kaur, DDS, provides comprehensive oral health care to people of all ages living in and around Georgetown Place, Maplecrest Road, Fort Wayne, and New Haven, Indiana. Their team uses crowns and bridges to transform smiles and promote good oral hygiene. Call Maple Dental to schedule a crowns-and-bridges consultation, or book your appointment online today.

Are crowns and bridges the same?

Crowns and bridges are both dental restorations, but they aren’t the same.

Crowns

A crown is a tooth-shaped cap that’s fixed atop a damaged or decaying permanent tooth.

Bridges

A dental bridge is a restoration that spans (or “bridges”) a gap in your smile. It restores your smile if you lose a permanent tooth to an extraction or trauma.

Bridges feature two parts: a pontic (or false tooth), which fills the gap in your smile, and two crowns or a metal framework. Dr. Kaur bonds the crowns or framework to the teeth on either side of the gap, holding the bridge in place.

When are crowns and bridges needed?

At Maple Dental, Dr. Kaur uses crowns and bridges to:

• Repair cracked, chipped, and broken teeth
• Fill large gaps between the teeth
• Replace missing permanent teeth
• Cover dental implants
• Support large dental fillings
• Improve the look of misshapen and discolored teeth

Sometimes, Dr. Kaur uses dental crowns to complete root canal therapy. Covering a treated tooth with a dental crown prevents bacteria from entering it and reduces your risk of infection.

What does getting a crown or bridge involve?

Getting a crown or bridge at Maple Dental takes two or more visits several weeks apart.

At your first appointment, Dr. Kaur completes an oral exam and takes dental X-rays.

If you need a crown, she numbs your mouth with a local anesthetic. The decayed or damaged part of your tooth is removed. She then takes digital impressions and sends them to a dental lab.

If you need a bridge, Dr. Kaur numbs your mouth with a local anesthetic and removes some of the enamel from the teeth on either side of the gap. This prepares them to receive a crown or a metal framework. She then takes digital impressions of your teeth and sends them to a dental lab.

Technicians at the lab use your impressions to create a custom crown or bridge. You return to Maple Dental for your second visit once your restoration is ready.

Dr. Kaur numbs your mouth with a local anesthetic and lines up the crown or bridge with your teeth. She then applies dental cement to the restoration and puts it in the proper position. After the cement dries, Dr. Kaur polishes your teeth.

Call Maple Dental today to schedule a crown or bridge consultation, or book your appointment online.