A crown is a cap which completely covers a tooth or dental implant. A crown can be made from porcelain, gold, alloys or a combination of these materials. Crowns are typically bonded to the teeth using a dental cement. Implant-supported crowns are typically attached to an implant with screws, or bonded with dental cement.
A bridge is used to fill a gap created by one or more missing teeth. A bridge is made up of three or more crowns splinted together. It is composed of crowns for the teeth on either side of the gap, and one or more false teeth in between to fill the gap.
An implant-supported bridge uses implants instead of teeth as the support for the missing tooth/teeth.
A bridge can be made from porcelain, gold, alloys or a combination of these materials.
Crowns are often used to improve the strength or appearance of teeth which may otherwise not able to support a filling. They are necessary when a tooth has a higher probability of fracture, has large existing fillings, or has had a root canal treatment. They are often used along with an dental implant to replace missing teeth.
A bridge is used to replace one or more missing teeth. A bridge can be supported by natural teeth or implants. For a tooth-supported bridge the missing teeth should have supporting teeth on both sides that are strong and (ideally) free from gum disease. An implant-supported bridge is usually used to replace multiple missing teeth in one area (three or more).
What should i do if my crown was broken?
Hi Dianara, unfortunately, I can’t really give you any advice without an in-person examination of your crown. Please consult a dentist as soon as possible to find out the cause and to prevent possible pain and tooth abscess.
I had a root canal done on my lower left 2nd molar, the endodontist recommended me to a crown specialist. The crown specialist prepped my tooth for a crown, took a mould to have the crown created and gave me a temporary crown in the meantime.
But he told me that before putting the permanent crown, he recommended that I go see a gum specialist for a gum surgery. Something about a small surgery that involves tearing the side of the gum open to shave a bit of the bone off. the reason being that if we didnt there would be a risk of gum infection later on.
I am trying to find out whether such a procedure is common during root canal treatment?
Hi RK, the gum surgery recommended to you is called a crown lengthening procedure. Without an examination it’s not possible to speculate on exactly why the procedure was recommended for you, but in cases where the decay is far below the gum line we may recommend a crown lengthening procedure. This is because the crown must be placed even deeper under the gum line to cover it, close to the bone. Over time, the close proximity of crown to the bone can potentially cause gum irritation or infection. It is a relatively common procedure, but not necessary for all crowns.