Dental Bridge & Crown

What is the difference between a dental crown and a dental bridge?
What are the benefits of having a dental crown and bridge?
What materials are dental crown and bridge made of
In house dental laboratory: our crown and bridge work is Australian made and we use our in-house lab to manufacture them

Why you need a dental bridge?

A dental crown is a tooth shaped cap placed as a seamless protective barrier over an existing natural tooth in the circumstance where there has been significant damage but enough healthy structure remains to support the crown so as to aid against further decay. Whereas a dental bridge is placed to fill a gap where a tooth or set of neighbour teeth are missing and/or needed to be extracted due to irreparable damage. Dental bridges utilise crowns on the healthy teeth either end of the gap to anchor the bridge securely within the mouth.

What are the benefits of having a dental crown and bridge?

A dental crown is an excellent tool to protect a weakened tooth. It is a visually appealing solution that prevents further damage and decay and supports a healthy bite allowing the patient to eat, drink and talk as they usually would. They can also be used to correct more minor flaws and concerns such as small gaps between teeth and misshapen or discoloured teeth. A dental bridge provides a functional restoration to one or more ( no more than four) missing teeth in a row. Missing teeth have a detrimental effect on our bite force, how we eat and talk. The long term absence of teeth in this way causes unstable bite pressure and thus the uneven wearing and damage of surrounding teeth. A dental bridge rectifies such issues and restores the proper balance needed to for accurate force distribution. Like crowns they are hand crafted by highly skilled prosthetic technicians to be long wearing and as visually undetectable as possible.

What materials are dental crown and bridge made of

Thanks to advancements in the field of restorative dentistry, there are more material options for dental crowns and bridges than ever before. Each patient and each tooth within the mouth is different and thus the budget and needs vary widely.
Metals such as: chromium, nickel, gold and palladium alloys are a common choice for dental crowns and bridges as they are extremely hard wearing in construction and show little wearing over time, they rarely chip or break. Because of their metallic finish they are visually more apparent than other materials and thus patients generally prefer them for molar teeth where they are less detectable. Composite resin materials are popular choice because they are a cost effective solution that can be colour matched to the existing natural teeth for a better blend. They are strong long term solution but are known to be susceptible to staining and wearing. Porcelain is the strongest, has best longevity and is the most natural of the colourable materials and can be fused to a metallic base for extra strength. Dental crowns and bridges can be made with all-porcelain or all-ceramic materials for patients who struggle with metal allergies.

In house dental laboratory: our crown and bridge work is Australian made and we use our in-house lab to manufacture them

Here at Seabreeze Dentistry we are proudly Australian made. All of our restorative devices including our dental crown and bridge work is manufactured from start to finish by the hands of our expertly skilled technicians at our in house dental laboratory. This hands on approach at every stage is how we are able guarantee our patients the highest level of care in all aspects of their dental needs