Crown and Bridge
What Are a Crown and Bridge?
Crowns and bridges are the most common permanent solutions by the dentist at Toluca Lake. They help restore lost or damaged teeth by using prosthetic dental devices. Let’s look at these restorative procedures in detail below.
Understanding the use of a Crown:
Your dentist in Toluca Lake might recommend a crown in case of a damaged or fractured tooth structure. A crown refers to a manufactured prosthetic tooth that may be made of porcelain or ceramic. Most patients prefer the latter because you can color-match it with your natural tooth.
In the case of a back tooth, sometimes the experts use crowns made of gold alloys. This is because they can lend better strength to the tooth. Besides that, conventional metal crowns can also have porcelain bonding at the crown’s exterior for better strength and a natural look.
What Is a Bridge?
Your Toluca Lake dentist might recommend a bridge if one or more of your teeth is missing. They’re one of the best means to fill out space between teeth and to help restore a lost tooth.
It’s also a prosthetic dental appliance to replace the missing tooth/teeth. Bridges at My Dentist Toluca Lake clinic are generally a blend of porcelain and metal. This is to ensure better strength and natural appearance.
When Do You Need a Crown or Bridge?
Your dentist of Toluca Lake might be able to suggest you better on whether to get a dental crown or bridge. They’d determine this based on your exact dental condition and requirement. Generally, a crown and bridge at the Toluca Lake clinic are what the dentists there recommend:
Dentists suggest a crown when:
- Your tooth is weak, damaged, or fractured
- Find your tooth is affected by excessive decay and has become weak
- Your tooth has excessively discolored
- Notice your tooth has lost its original shape
- A dental bridge needs an anchor
If your dentist needs to restore a missing tooth or set of teeth; they can suggest a bridge. It may also be a solution for unstable dentures or those that are uncomfortable or have an unpleasant appearance.
How to Take Care of Bridges and Crowns?
Your dentist may advise you of the preventive measures to follow at home for preventing damage to your appliances. Besides that, good oral hygiene is important to ensure further problems with your teeth. Brushing and flossing daily is a must. Most important, it’s necessary to keep the area where the crown/bridge has been fitted clean at all times. Food shouldn’t get lodged in the area to avoid further problems.
It’s also a good idea to avoid taking too many sticky foods like candies to prevent tooth decay. Even if you do, make sure you floss around the crown. This would help prevent caries at the point where the crown and the tooth join. Most importantly, take care not to use your teeth for chewing pens/pencils, crunching ice, biting fingernails, etc.
For cleaning under the bridge, your dentist at Toluca Lake might recommend using a dental floss threader. It’s a small bent brush which makes cleaning the area under the bridge easy. Besides that, professional dental cleaning at the dentist’s office at least once a year can also help. They’d use water jets to keep the bridge clean.
What’s most important is to schedule regular visits to your Toluca Lake dentist. This would help ensure that your crown and bridge are healthy. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Sahakyan at My Dentist Toluca Lake, call 818-483-9077. You can also visit us on an appointment to seek consultation on bridges and crowns.