Crowns and Bridges
Crowns are tooth-shaped caps which fit over your teeth. Crowns can be used over teeth with large heavily filled, blackened or root-filled teeth. They can also be used cosmetically to improve the appearance of your front teeth.
Your dentist can tell you which of your teeth would best be protected by crowns before problems develop. Crowns provide strong, attractive, long term protection for your mouth.
DIFFERENT TYPES OF CROWNS
PORCELAIN FUSED TO METAL DENTAL CROWN (PMF)
A PFM crown consists of a metal structure covering the tooth, with porcelain fused onto it. The metal can cause a black line that is visible on the tooth, as well as darkening of the gums. The porcelain can also chip off, leaving the metal covering exposed.
These type of crowns are very outdated and rarely used in our practice, due to the availability of better and more aesthetic options on the market, that does not incorporate the use of metal anymore.
GOLD CROWNS
Gold crowns had their place before the availability of zirconium crowns and was used posteriorly and anteriorly for their strength and anterior for their “aesthetic” value, or today still is a sign of status under certain populations.
CERAMIC CROWNS
The Ceramic dental crown is considered to be the best inclusion in dental crown technology. It is an all-ceramic crown which provides the best appearance by complimenting the natural teeth. It has an appealing translucent colour and is highly durable with extra strength, so it lasts longer.
ZIRCONIA CROWN
Zirconium oxide is a high-performance material in great demand. It has a high degree of flexural strength and is biocompatible, allowing tooth-conserving preparations for fully anatomical restorations.
NEW: We now also do outstanding restorations also with full contour zirconia.
CEREC makes fully anatomical zirconium oxide restorations in a single visit possible – making restorations easier, faster, and more economical than ever!
Thanks to our brand new CEREC Speedfire Sintering Furnace, we can now also provide you with Zirconium Crowns and Bridges.
Bridges
Bridges are inserted when one or more natural teeth are missing. These are artificial teeth which are joined to the existing natural teeth to mimic the appearance and function of a full set of natural teeth.
THE PROCEDURE
First your dentist will reduce the size of the existing filling and tooth to make room for the new crown, and then take an impression which is sent to a dental technician. Sometimes the filling in the tooth to be crowned is completely removed to check for decay and to rebuild the tooth for increased strength. Your dentist will fit a temporary crown to cover your tooth until the permanent crown has been made by a dental technician. Once your permanent crown is ready, your dentist will check the fit and appearance before cementing it in place.
If your crown is made via CEREC, a digital scan will be taken and your crown designed and milled while you wait, and fitted the same day! (Read more on CEREC).
Very Important!
Please take note that according to the HPCSA (Health Professions Council of South Africa) the procedure of preparing and placing crowns and bridges is very specialized and falls only within the scope of practice of a qualified dentist or Prosthodontist. It should not be performed by an oral Hygienist or a Dental Therapist, since it DOES NOT form part of their scope of practice!
Please report any person performing unauthorized Crown and Bridge work directly to the HPCSA on their website.