Next to a filling, the fitting of a crown is perhaps one of the best known dental restorations used in the UK. It can be used in multiple situations which we will see in a moment. The crowns used at our Ipswich dental clinic are made either from ceramic or porcelain and provide a natural appearance as well as extra strength when used.<\/p>\n
Let us take a look then at some of the situations where a dental crown might be used.<\/p>\n
While smaller cavities are likely to be filled, either with an amalgam or tooth coloured filling, crowns may be used where decay is more extensive and especially where the tooth would be left in a weakened state.\u00a0 Many of you reading this blog may well have a crown and will be aware of the added strength it provides to a compromised tooth.<\/p>\n
Unlike a filling, where the filling material is used to fill a cavity, a tooth that is having a crown attached needs to be shaped so that the crown can be securely attached to it. Once the tooth has been shaped and prepared, an impression will be taken of it which is used by a special laboratory to make the crown. When the crown has been produced and returned to us, you will be recalled to the Foxhall Dental Practice<\/a> and the crown attached using a strong clinical adhesive.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n A bridge can be used where a number of consecutive teeth are missing. This is done in a similar way to dentures, by using artificial teeth to replace the missing natural ones. Unlike dentures though, a bridge is secured more firmly into place by the use of dental crowns. These are situated at either end of the replacement teeth and, as previously mentioned, means that healthy teeth on either side of the gap have to be shaped so that the crowns can be attached. This does provide a more secure option than dentures to replace multiple missing teeth, but the fact that otherwise healthy teeth have to be shaped may deter some people who instead, may opt for implants to avoid the need to have anything done to these teeth.<\/p>\n Although the term \u2018dental implant\u2019 is widely used to mean the whole replacement tooth; strictly speaking it is just one of the three parts used to make up the whole replacement tooth. The implant itself is a small screw-like object that is placed into the jawbone where the replacement tooth is to be located. This is allowed to fuse with the bone in a process known as osseointegration. When the bone and implant have fully fused, the other two pieces can be attached. The first of these is an abutment, a small connecting piece that allows the final part (the crown) to be attached to the implant. It plays an important part by helping to ensure correct alignment and stability of the whole replacement tooth. To the abutment, the crown is added. It, in effect, replacing the natural tooth that would normally be present.<\/p>\nBridges<\/h3>\n
Dental implants<\/h3>\n