Terri Ramsey Beavers If you are missing one or more teeth, your dentist may suggest that you get artificial replacements. Removable options such as dentures are available to take out and clean. However, dentures tend to slide around, fall out, or shift. For this reason, many people get crowns to be affixed to dental implants and bridges to function like natural teeth. However, when you have to choose between dental crowns and bridges in Houston, which option is best for you? Your dentist will explain to you how both options differ from each other and the benefits of both.
Dental Crowns vs. Dental Bridges
Dental crowns can cap your damaged or decaying teeth or be installed on top of dental implants as replacements for missing teeth. These metal fixtures are fastened surgically to the jawbone below your gums. The healing process can take between 6 to 12 weeks when you get an implant. Then, your dentist will put a titanium post into the implant and mount a crown onto it.
Meanwhile, dental bridges are only used for replacing missing teeth. They are composed of two crows and a bridge that rest in the gum area where you lost a tooth. Their crowns can fuse to your existing teeth or attach to implants.
Both dental crowns and bridges are important to maintain your oral health. When you leave gaps between your teeth, the rest of the teeth will rotate or shift into the gap, leading to a bad bite. Also, a missing tooth can result in gum disease and temporomandibular joint disorders.
What Happens When You Get a Crown?
You will be given an anesthetic to make sure you don’t experience any pain during the procedure. Then your dentist will get rid of damaged pulp from your tooth before they clean out the cavity. Also, they take dental impressions of your teeth before they attach the crown to your tooth.
Your dentist will tell you to come for a follow-up appointment after a few weeks when the permanent crowns have been made. They use a special dental cement to hold the cap to the tooth permanently.
What to Expect When You Get a Dental Bridge
A local anesthetic will also be administered to you to make you feel comfortable during the procedure. Your dentist will perform any necessary extraction or root canal therapy. Then, they will take impressions of the areas to make a bridge that fits appropriately into your mouth. They will provide you with a temporary bridge until your permanent bridge is ready.