Crowns, Bridges, Implants

• Crown: Crowns are custom-made restorations that require two visits. A crown covers all the chewing surfaces of a tooth. A crown can make your tooth stronger and improves its appearance. Crowns are often used to support a tooth with a large restoration and protect it from fracture or restore one that's already broken or cracked. They also cover badly discolored or misshapen teeth.
• Bridge: A bridge is a permanently fixed restoration that replaces one or more missing teeth with artificial teeth. It literally bridges the "gap" where the teeth were. The restoration is bonded onto surrounding teeth for support. A bridge can be thought of as "3 crowns" joined together.
• Implant: Another way to replace a missing tooth other than a bridge if an implant. An implant requires surgery to place that anchor and several months may be required for the bone to grow around the anchor and firmly hold it in place. After healing the anchor is basically fitted with a "crown". An advantage is no other teeth need to be involved to support it as in the case of a bridge.

• All porcelain (ceramic): are desirable because their color and translucency mimic natural tooth enamel. They are prone to fracture when placed under strong forces. Their strength depends on adequate thickness of the porcelain and the ability to be bonded to the tooth. They are highly resistant to wear. However, they can wear the opposing teeth.
• Porcelain-fused-to metal: The are very strong and durable. The combination of porcelain and metal provides a stronger restoration than porcelain alone. However, more existing tooth structure must be removed to accommodate the restoration. Although highly resistant to wear, they can wear the opposing natural teeth.
• Gold Alloys: They exhibit high strength and resist wear and fracture. They also require the least amount of healthy tooth structure to be removed when preparing the tooth. Gold alloys rarely cause wear in opposing natural teeth. However, their metal colors do not look like natural teeth.