Dental Implants
Dental implant surgery is a procedure that replaces tooth roots with metal, screwlike posts and replaces damaged or missing teeth with artificial teeth that look and function much like real ones. Dental implant surgery can offer a welcome alternative to dentures or bridgework that doesn’t fit well and can offer an option when a lack of natural teeth roots don’t allow building denture or bridgework tooth replacements.
How dental implant surgery is performed depends on the type of implant and the condition of your jawbone. Dental implant surgery may involve several procedures. The major benefit of implants is solid support for your new teeth — a process that requires the bone to heal tightly around the implant. Because this bone healing requires time, the process can take many months.
Crowns and Bridges
Crowns and bridges are fixed prosthetic devices. Unlike removable devices such as dentures that can be taken out and cleaned daily; crowns and bridges are cemented onto existing teeth or implants.
As providers of crowns and bridges, Advanced Dental Group can fit crowns and bridges and monitor your progress with them.
FAQ
A crown or bridge may be suitable for people needing to:
- Replace a large filling when there is not enough tooth remaining
- Protect a weak tooth from fracturing
- Restore a fractured tooth
- Attach a bridge
- Cover dental implant(s)
- Cover a tooth that has undergone root canal treatment
A crown is used to entirely cover a damaged tooth. Besides strengthening a damaged tooth, a crown can be used to improve its appearance, shape or alignment. A crown can also be placed on top of an implant to provide a tooth-like shape and structure for functioning. Fortunately, porcelain or ceramic crowns can be matched to the colour of your natural teeth.
Bridges are commonly used to replace one or more missing teeth. Bridges are cemented to the natural teeth or implants surrounding the empty space. As with crowns, you can have a choice of materials for bridges. Your dentist can help you decide which to use, based on the location of the missing tooth, its function, aesthetics and cost.
While crowns and bridges can last a lifetime, they can sometimes come loose or fall out. The most important step you can take to ensure the longevity of your crown or bridge is to practice good oral hygiene. You can maintain this by brushing with a fluoride toothpaste twice a day and flossing daily.
To prevent damage to your new crown or bridge, avoid chewing hard foods.
