Crowns and Bridges

New i-CAT Cone Beam 3-D Dental Imaging System

Crowns
Dental crowns fit over your natural teeth after they have been shaped to accept the crown.
You may need a crown to protect you tooth because of any of the following causes;

Worn Fillings
Cracked Tooth
Failing Crown
Large Cavity
After Root Canal

A drawing of a tooth that has been prepared to accept a new crown

A drawing of a tooth that has just received a new crown

When larger fillings no longer serve their original purpose, it is a good idea to construct a crown. A crown will cover and protect a damaged tooth. Fillings may develop broken edges which will no longer properly seal the tooth. If the filling is small enough, a new filling can be used. But if the tooth has a large filling and there is not very much of the original tooth material to attach the filling to, a crown may be a better solution.

Procedure
It takes two appointments to restore your tooth with a crown. This is because the crown must be custom hand-crafted in a dental laboratory to precisely fit your tooth and bite.

These are the steps necessary to produce your new crown:

Before and after photos of a tooth with a temporary and permanent crownare

Your tooth is numbed with topical and local anesthetic.
Any decay is removed.
The tooth is shaped with a handpiece.
We take a precise impression of your teeth.
You will be fitted with a temporary crown while the dental laboratory crafts your permanent crown. This usually takes one to two weeks.
On your next visit to the dentist, your temporary crown is removed and your new permanent crown is fitted.
When you and the dentist are satisfied with the fit and bite, the crown is permanently cemented in place.

Bridges
A bridge is a replacement for a missing tooth that is anchored in place by the adjacent teeth.

A bridge can avert the chain-reaction of dental problems that can occur when a tooth is lost.
These can include;

Before and after photos of a missing tooth and a bridge to restore it

The tooth opposing the missing tooth can start to extrude from its socket.
The missing tooth can cause chewing problems.
Problems can develop with the TMJ.
It is much harder to clean the teeth that have shifted, and this may cause further tooth loss through the advancement of periodontal disease.

3 dimensional model of a missing tooth in a mouth, and the separate bridge

3 dimensional model of a bridge that has just been installed in a mouth

Procedure
It takes two appointments to restore your mouth with a bridge. This is because the bridge must be custom hand-crafted in a dental laboratory to precisely fit your bite and teeth.

Photograph of some of the tools used to install dental crowns and bridges

These are the steps necessary to produce your new crown:

Your tooth is numbed with a topical or local anesthetic.

Any decay is removed.
The teeth are shaped with a handpiece.
We take a precise impression of your teeth.
You will be fitted with a temporary bridge while the dental laboratory crafts your permanent bridge. This usually takes two weeks.
On your next visit to the dentist, your temporary bridge is removed and your new permanent bridge is fitted.
When you and the dentist are satisfied with the fit and bite, the bridge is permanently cemented in place.

Diagram of a tooth that can be restored by installing a dental crown

Diagram of teeth that can be restored by installing a dental bridge.

Locations
Springfield, MA 1795 Main St, Suite 215 (413) 733-6651	Springfield, MA 1795 Main St, Suite 212 (413) 732-5600	W. Springfield, MA 93 Van Deene Ave. (413) 734-9400
Longmeadow, MA 66 Dwight Rd, (413) 567-9600	E. Longmeadow, MA 294 North Main St, (413) 525-9500	Wilbraham, MA 35 Kids Village Post Office Park (413) 509-1500

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