Crowns, Bridges and Veneers
Large fillings, cracks and cavities in your teeth can cause them to weaken over time. This increases the risk of the tooth fracturing and can also diminish its aesthetics.
In these cases the most common procedures are Crowns, Bridges and Veneers.
Crowns
A crown can be made from ceramic, porcelain or metal and wraps around the weakened tooth like a protective helmet to improve the tooth’s shape, colour and length.
What is the process of getting a crown?
First appointment
We need to examine the tooth and take an x-ray to make sure it is suitable for a crown. If the tooth is significantly broken down we will need to build it up with a strong core and prepare it for a crown.
We take moulds at this appointment to send to our Australian trained technicians. In the mean time we make a temporary crown until the final crown can be fabricated.
Second appointment
The next appointment is 2-3 weeks apart, when your crown is ready. We check to make sure it fits perfectly and that you are happy with the shade and shape of the tooth before we cement it in place.
You can resume your daily activities after this appointment, but you may feel some discomfort when eating and cleaning your teeth for a few days which should subside soon afterwards.
To ensure the longevity of your crown be sure to brush well and floss around it, and to avoid putting unnecessary strain such as biting your nails, crushing ice and chewing pencils etc. If you grind your teeth at night you may require a night guard to reduce the amount of force put on the crown and the rest of your teeth.
Bridges
A bridge can be a suitable option to replace a missing tooth, especially if there is not enough bone to support an implant or a patient does not want a denture that they have to take out at night.
The bridge uses the teeth on either side of the missing tooth as anchors to fill the space. The process usually takes 2 appointments, and is similar to the crown appointment.
Veneers
Veneer are thin tooth coloured shells that cover the front teeth. Porcelain veneers have a similar process like a crown with composite veneers being another option which are made out of the same material used for fillings and can be done in one appointment. However, compared to porcelain veneers they can be more prone to chipping, staining and lack the aesthetic quality of porcelain veneers.
We understand changing the appearance of your front teeth can be daunting, and we want your expectations to be met and exceeded. Therefore we provide the opportunity for you to “trial” your veneers where you can see how you like the shape and length of your new teeth. Often being able to show your family and friends your new teeth can be very useful. After which any adjustments you require can be made before the final veneers are processed. The video below provides a brief overview of veneers.