Crowns and Bridges

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Crowns

A dental crown (also referred to as a cap) is a fixed prosthetic object that is cemented onto a tooth. Only a dentist can remove it once it's in place. The main purpose of a crown is to cover a damaged tooth, but it also strengthens it, improving its overall appearance and alignment in the mouth.

Crowns are made by taking an impression of the tooth or teeth they'll be covering. Before this impression is created, your dentist must first reduce your tooth's size so that the crown fits properly. Your dentist may also place a temporary crown while the permanent one is being made.  One of the trickiest things to get right is the margin space--where the crown meets the gum.  Dr. Basil is renown in creating margins that are undetectable to the naked eye.

Crowns can last a lifetime if properly maintained.

Bridges

A bridge may be recommended if you're missing one or more teeth, and can be delivered in Dr. Basil's West Hartford dental office or her New Britain Dental office.  Gaps left by missing teeth eventually cause the remaining teeth to rotate or shift into the empty spaces, resulting in a bad bite. The imbalance caused by missing teeth can also lead to gum disease and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders.

Bridges are commonly used to replace one or more missing teeth. They span the space where the teeth are missing--hence the term "bridge".  Bridges are cemented to the natural teeth or implants surrounding the empty space. Porcelain or ceramic bridges can be matched to the color of your natural teeth.

Call us and set up a consultation with Dr. Basil, directly.