Crowns
Fractured or decaying teeth are incredibly weak, and crowns are a good way to protect those teeth from further damage. A crown is a permanent covering (made of ceramic porcelain, gold or other precious metal) that fits over the natural tooth. This not only strengthens the tooth, but it also enhances the tooth’s appearance considerably.
Before crowns
After crowns
Bridges
When you lose one or more teeth, those teeth leave gaps behind that can cause problems in the future. If left untreated, the neighboring teeth can begin to crowd those gaps. This leads to tooth shifting, biting problems, chewing, speech problems and it can even lead to further tooth loss. To prevent this, a prosthetic device is used to ‘bridge’ that gap.
The bridge is bonded to the adjacent teeth and this keeps the teeth from shifting. The bridge is made to look just like your natural teeth and you’ll hardly know it’s there.
Dental Implants
For a permanent and cost-effective solution to missing teeth, dental implants are highly recommended. Dental implants are much stronger than bridges or dentures, and they often last longer as well. This is because they are surgically bonded to your jawbone. Unlike bridges, which bond to the adjacent teeth, dental implants act independently and so your other teeth remain unaffected.
During the procedure for dental implants, a titanium artificial tooth root will be implanted into your jawbone. Then, a permanent artificial tooth will be bound to that root, holding it in place. It’s stronger than your natural teeth and yet you can’t tell the difference. And nobody else will be able to tell the difference, either.
