Sometimes called “caps,” dental crowns are protective restorations that fully cover your tooth up to the gumlines. They’re used when there isn’t enough tooth structure to restore with a filling. Instead of going inside of the tooth, crowns go around it.

Most of our crowns are made from porcelain and require a two-step process to complete. The first visit includes numbing and prepping your tooth with a buildup to create a foundation for the crown to fit on top. Next, we’ll take an impression for our lab, then place a temporary crown over your tooth while the permanent one is being designed. About two weeks later you’ll return to our office to have the temporary crown removed and the permanent one cemented into place; numbing typically isn’t required.

Individual crowns are also used with dental implants in the instance of single tooth replacement. Since we offer oral surgery in house, we can place and restore your dental implant without any additional referrals.

Dental bridges are multi-tooth restorations that replace missing teeth. They can be supported by healthy teeth on either side of the one that’s missing or by a pair of dental implants. The treatment process is similar to putting crowns on the supporting teeth, with one that’s welded between the two. Aesthetically it looks like a row of teeth and functions like one as well. A traditional dental bridge (supported by teeth) works best for 1-2 missing teeth. If you’re missing more than two teeth, an implant-supported bridge or removable partial denture may be a better option.