Crown & Bridge
in Delray Beach

crowns and bridges -Ocean Breeze

DENTAL CROWNS AND BRIDGES

Crowns

At Rohrer Cosmetic Restorative Dentistry, we aim to provide you with the beautiful, functional smile that you deserve. One of the services that we offer to help you achieve your oral health and cosmetic goals is the creation and placement of a custom crown. A dental crown, also commonly known as a cap, is a dental treatment that is designed to restore a tooth to its former size, shape, and in some cases, color. Dental crowns are often used to restore teeth that cannot be repaired with other dental restoration treatments, such as fillings. Our dentists may recommend that you receive a dental crown for one or more of the following reasons:

  • To repair teeth that have significant decay, cracks, or fractures
  • To replace a large or fractured filling that is no longer performing the way it should
  • To complete the root canal procedure and protect the newly restored tooth
  • To enhance the beauty of your smile

Crowns are durable and strong and can be made to match the natural color of your teeth, if so desired. Crowns, with the proper care, are expected to last many years. However, as with most dental restorations, a crown may eventually need replacement, especially if any maltreatment has taken place.

Crown Materials: Choosing the Right Option

Today’s dental crowns are available in several materials, including porcelain, ceramic, porcelain-fused-to-metal, zirconia, and gold alloy. Each material has its own specific benefits and purpose, including the following:

 

  • Porcelain/Ceramic Crowns: These provide the most natural appearance, closely matching your natural tooth color. They are ideal for front teeth or obvious parts of your smile where aesthetics are paramount. They are also perfect for patients with metal allergies or those seeking the most realistic results.
  • Porcelain-fused-to-metal: Offering both strength and aesthetics, these crowns have a metal base for durability covered by porcelain that matches your natural teeth. They are best suited for back teeth that require strength for chewing but are still partially visible when you smile.
  • Zirconia: Extremely durable and biocompatible, zirconia crowns provide exceptional strength while maintaining a natural appearance. They are perfect for patients who grind their teeth or need extra durability, especially for molars that endure significant chewing forces.
  • Gold alloys: Though less common for visible teeth, gold crowns offer unmatched durability and require minimal removal of natural tooth structure. They are ideal for back molars that are not visible when smiling and for patients with strong bites or grinding habits who need maximum longevity.

 

Our expert team of prosthodontists will help you determine which material best suits your needs, considering factors like the tooth’s location, aesthetic preferences, and functional requirements.

Types of Dental Bridges

At Ocean Breeze Prosthodontics, Delray Beach dentists offer several bridge options tailored to your specific circumstances. Each bridge type offers unique advantages, and our prosthodontic specialists will carefully evaluate your oral health, budget, and aesthetic goals to recommend the best solution for your missing teeth.

Traditional Bridges

This is the most common type of bridge, involving one or more artificial teeth (pontics) secured by dental crowns on the surrounding natural teeth (abutment teeth). Traditional bridges provide excellent stability and are ideal when healthy teeth on both sides of the gap can support crowns.

Cantilever Bridges

This style of bridge is used when there are only real teeth on one side of the gap. This design anchors the artificial tooth to just one side, making it suitable for front teeth or where only one neighboring tooth is available for support. Cantilever bridges require precise engineering to ensure they can withstand regular biting forces.

Maryland Bridges

Maryland bridges take a more conservative approach using metal or porcelain attached to the back of adjacent teeth. These bridges require minimal preparation of supporting teeth and are used mainly for front teeth. Maryland bridges preserve more of your natural tooth structure but may not be as durable or long-lasting as traditional bridges.

 

Both Cantilever and Maryland Bridges are individual and very case-specific.  Very careful considerations must be made to determine if this would be the best esthetics and functional long-lasting treatment option for you.

Implant-Supported Bridges 

This is the most stable and long-lasting option, secured by dental implants surgically placed in your jawbone rather than relying on natural teeth. These bridges can replace multiple missing teeth with just a few strategically placed implants, providing superior support and preventing bone loss in the jaw.

Benefits of Dental Bridges

Dental bridges provide considerable advantages for both your oral health and overall quality of life, including:

  • Restores your ability to chew and speak properly: Missing teeth can greatly impact your ability to eat certain foods and articulate clearly. Bridges fill these gaps, allowing you to enjoy your favorite foods and speak confidently.
  • Maintains your facial structure by preventing bone loss: When teeth are lost or extracted, the underlying jawbone deteriorates over time. Implant-supported bridges help stimulate the bone through an artificial tooth root, preserving your facial contours and preventing the sunken appearance that often accompanies tooth loss.
  • Distributes bite forces properly by replacing missing teeth: Gaps from missing teeth cause the remaining teeth to support extra pressure during chewing. Bridges redistribute these forces more evenly across your dental arch, protecting your natural teeth from excessive wear and potential damage.
  • Prevents remaining teeth from shifting out of place: Teeth naturally shift toward empty spaces, leading to misalignment and bite problems. Bridges maintain proper spacing and prevent this drift, preserving your overall dental alignment.
  • Enhances your smile’s appearance with natural-looking results: Modern dental bridges are built to blend seamlessly with natural teeth in color, shape, and size, restoring confidence in your smile.

Dental bridges provide solutions that address both functional and aesthetic concerns. These benefits make dental bridges an excellent investment in your oral health and self-confidence.

Procedure

TMJ treatment starts with a thorough examination of your mouth. On your first appointment, the dentist will start the diagnosis.

This procedure involves:

  • History taking: this involves a couple of questions about your medical history and your current symptoms.
  • Visual Examination: this is key to establish the source of your pain.
  • Joint Examination: it involves a series of exercises and movements to check the movement of your jaw and joints.

Once the molds have been taken, your porcelain crown will be custom-created in a dental laboratory over the course of approximately two weeks. During this two-week period, you will wear the temporary crown. In preparation for the temporary crown, the dentist will numb your tooth and clean away any present tooth decay. Your tooth will then be shaped to properly fit the temporary crown.

At your second appointment, the temporary crown will be removed. The doctor will prepare your tooth for the final crown by thoroughly cleaning your tooth again.

The new crown will be carefully placed to ensure that function and beauty is restored to your smile. We invite you to schedule a dental consultation to learn more about crowns and how they can benefit you.

Bridges

A dental bridge is a non-removable dental appliance used to replace a missing tooth (or missing teeth). A bridge can be used to accomplish the following:

  1. Fill gaps left my missing teeth
  2. Prevent the shifting of teeth due to extra space
  3. Restore a fully functioning bite
  4. Retain your face’s natural shape
  5. Replace a partial denture
  6. Promote a natural, radiant smile

Bridges comprise two crowns which go over the teeth, adjacent to the gap. We call these abutment teeth. Between the crowns, we place an artificial tooth, known as a pontic. This tooth will look and function like a natural tooth. Best of all, when you smile, no one will know you have a dental appliance!

Please call us to schedule an appointment if you are interested in receiving a bridge treatment.

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Get In Touch

Request an Appointment

**Requested time is not final until you receive confirmation from our office. Please do not submit any Protected Health Information (PHI).

"*" indicates required fields

Are you a New or Existing Patient?*
AM/PM*
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.