Crowns and Bridges

Crowns are artificial teeth, usually made of either porcelain or gold or porcelain fused to metal. These are usually a requirement in order to reinforce the strength of a tooth after a root canal therapy (RCT). After RCT, the tooth is weakened because of the lack of blood supply and nerve connections. Once the tooth is asymptomatic of the previous infection, it needs to be restored and strengthened by means of a crown with full coverage, to prevent the tooth from breaking in the future. Porcelain, which is life-like, is usually used to restore front and anterior teeth. Patients can choose from either gold or porcelain crowns for the back teeth. The pros and cons of these options are discussed during the examination or consultation visit. Bridges, on the other hand, are typically used for replacing missing teeth. A bridge is made up of  two or more abutment teeth and a pontic replacing the missing teeth all connected in one single frame. With the advent of dental implants, we rarely do this procedure because it is very aggressive treatment option. It is best to avoid tampering with two good teeth in order to replace one missing tooth.