We love helping patients maintain healthy and comfortable smiles here at Smiles of Marshall, which is why we offer tooth replacement options and repair, including dental crowns and bridges in Marshall, MI.
We put our teeth through a lot, and so the occasional need for crowns, bridges, or other restorations is expected. Sometimes a tooth breaks, or you will need an extraction, and the dentist, with the use of tooth-colored dentistry designed just for you, can help get you smiling again.
Dental crowns have a variety of uses. For example, they repair and reinforce a damaged tooth by covering it above the gum line. This helps add stability and prevents further damage. It is shaped and colored to look exactly like your surrounding teeth as well.
Other uses for tooth crowns include:
- Topping a dental implant post as a replacement tooth
- Concealing cosmetic flaws like chips, discoloration, and shape problems
- Anchoring a dental bridge, which is a prosthetic replacement tooth or teeth
Our tooth crowns come in a variety of materials: all-porcelain, porcelain fused to metal, and full gold crowns. Depending on your aesthetic and functional needs, the dentist will discuss which material might work best for you.
Dental Bridges
We use a dental bridge to replace a missing tooth or teeth.
If you have a tooth that has developed an infection, has deep decay, or bone loss, an extraction may be your best option. In this case, you can have a bridge made to replace the missing tooth or teeth. This gives you a full mouth of teeth and prevents the remaining teeth from shifting. When teeth shift, it throws off your bite, which can lead to wear, fractures, cavities, and even future tooth loss.
A bridge suspends an artificial tooth or teeth in place by using two dental crowns on your healthy adjacent teeth—the one to the left and right of your smile gap.
How to Care for Crowns and Bridges
Dental crowns do not need specialized maintenance. In fact, you treat them just like your natural teeth—brushing and flossing on schedule.
For your dental bridge, we recommend a special cleaning brush and a floss threader. These tools help prevent plaque from forming on your bridge and keep bacteria from collecting at the gum line.
With any restoration or prosthetic, it is essential to visit your dentist in Marshall, MI regularly for dental checkups and teeth cleanings. Prosthetics and restorations repair your smile, but they cannot prevent gum disease, new cavities, or periodontal disease—these are tasks for you and your dentist.
Schedule Your Dental Consultation Today
If you have a damaged tooth or missing teeth, we are here to help. Call today to get started.