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Crowns and bridges are dental restorations made from tooth-colored ceramic material. Crowns are used to restore teeth that are either broken, chipped, cracked, misshapen, worn out, or too weak to function by themselves. On the other hand, bridges restore teeth that are missing. Both these restorations improve the appearance of the smile as well as the functionality of the mouth.

Dental crowns

Crowns are cap-like restorations that cover the entire surface of a tooth. They are used for multiple types of restorations, such as follows:

Broken teeth:  Teeth that break due to oral trauma can be brought back to their ideal condition using crowns.

Chipped teeth:  The teeth may chip when you bite something too hard or have a bad fall. In such cases, crowns restore the teeth to their contour.

Excessively spaced teeth:  Teeth spaced too far apart from each other can be made to look aesthetically pleasing using crowns.

Worn out teeth:  Worn out teeth ruin the natural appearance of a person’s smile. They also increase the sensitivity of the teeth and make it very uncomfortable while consuming hot or cold foods. Crowns help restore the biting surface of such teeth and bring them back to their normal size and shape.

Weak teeth:  Teeth undergoing root canal therapy would become weak later on due to lack of nourishment. Hence, bonding a crown to them would keep them from cracking and suffering failure.

Bridges

Bridges are composed of a prosthetic tooth and dental crowns on either side to hold the restoration in place. If not for the crowns, the bridge would be highly unstable and could slip off while chewing something hard. The bridge gives the patient the liberty to bite and chew food as usual. Moreover, its appearance can perfectly mimic that of the natural teeth. Here are some of its advantages:

• The procedure to place a bridge is effortless. It doesn’t require surgery nor any complicated dental procedures. Also, the use of anesthesia can be avoided in some instances.
• Since bridges are made from dental-grade ceramic material, their color, texture, and transparency can be modified as required.
• Since the bridge is held in place using two crowns, it will be firmly held in position.
• A bridge exhibits excellent durability and longevity.

Reach out to us on call at (703) 461-3000 or schedule an online appointment, and we'll be happy to guide you further.