Dental Crowns & Bridges

Implant dentistry is a great way to improve your smile and restore the natural form of teeth that can’t be saved with traditional dental care. Mann Family Dental offers dental treatments for tooth loss, missing teeth, or gaps between teeth in the form of dental crowns and bridges.

If you are looking for dental implants, crowns, or bridges in Manchester, New Hampshire, contact us today to improve your oral health and restore your smile!

What are Dental Implant Crowns and Bridges?

To understand what a Dental Implant Crown or Bridge is, it is helpful to understand what a traditional crown and bridge are and how they are similar when used with dental implants.

Dental crowns and bridges are often used to replace missing or damaged teeth. A crown restores a tooth that is damaged or broken while dental bridges fill the gap created by a missing tooth. Dental crowns and bridges can be used separately or together, depending on the patient’s needs.

A dental crown is placed on top of an existing tooth or dental implant. Its purpose is to restore the tooth’s strength, shape, size, and appearance, giving it a natural look and feel. Crowns are typically used when a tooth is badly decayed or when it has been cracked or broken. A crown can serve both cosmetic and structural purposes, as it reinforces the tooth, strengthens it for chewing and biting, and corrects the look, color, and shape of the tooth. When a person has a dental implant, the crown is the part on top that you can see.

A dental bridge is a combination of two or more crowns that hold false teeth between them and are typically supported by adjacent natural teeth. Bridges can be used to replace single or multiple missing or damaged teeth, depending on what needs to be replaced. In some cases, dental implants may be used instead, especially when multiple teeth are missing in a row. However, if you are only missing one tooth, a simple crown connected to a dental implant may do the trick.

What is the Difference Between a Dental Crown and a Bridge?

Typically a dental crown is a “tooth” that is made out of porcelain. It is placed over the shaved-down, damaged tooth to restore it to its original shape and function. Crowns can be used to change the color of a tooth, restore its shape, and protect it from breaking. They are cemented or bonded to the teeth underneath and cannot be removed.

A bridge is a combination of crowns hooked together with “fake” teeth in between. It is called a “bridge” because it “bridges the gap between teeth”. Many people mistakenly refer to their removable partial denture as a bridge. Bridges like crowns are cemented or bonded to the teeth underneath.

Crowns and bridges are sometimes used together to fix multiple teeth. For example, if you have several damaged teeth and some missing teeth in-between, your dentist may use a combination of crowns and bridges to restore your smile.

Crowns and bridges utilize the existing tooth and root, while dental implant-supported crowns and bridges utilize the implant as the “root”, the abutment as the “shaved down tooth”, and the crown or bridge as the “tooth or teeth”.

Who Can Benefit from Crowns and Bridges?

Crowns are a very common dental procedure. They are used to repair chipped, broken, discolored, decayed, or worn teeth. A crown is very often used to protect a tooth that has had a root canal, but most teeth with crowns don’t require a root canal. If you have any of these problems then you could benefit from a crown. A crown is the most common dental implant restoration.

A bridge is used to replace a missing tooth or teeth. A bridge is a more esthetically pleasing choice for missing teeth than a partial denture. People with missing teeth that want to improve their appearance or increase the number of teeth for chewing can benefit from bridges. Bridges can also keep teeth from drifting because the supporting teeth are now “hooked” together.

While bridges are an excellent choice for replacing missing teeth, dental implants have become the industry standard for tooth replacement and should be considered the first option.

You should consider dental crowns and bridges or even dental implants if you have any of the following:

Several teeth are missing or need to be removed. You might choose to get a bridge, which will replace the missing teeth. You might choose to crown the good teeth and replace the missing teeth with dental implants and crowns.

Large spaces with no teeth. You might choose to get multiple dental implants with crowns or fewer dental implants with a bridge.

You have multiple teeth with old crowns, large fillings, small gaps between your teeth, and poor dental appearance. You may choose to restore your mouth with all crowns.

Crowns and bridges whether they are supported by your natural teeth or with dental implants are an excellent way to get your teeth looking and feeling better. There are many factors that are essential in considering what is best for your oral health.

If you’re having a crown on a tooth:

• Is there enough tooth left to hold the crown?
• Does the tooth have enough bone to last?
• Is there an infection on the tooth?

Many times a dental implant with a crown is a better long-term solution.

If you’re considering a bridge:

• Are the teeth on either end strong enough to support the missing tooth
• Are the teeth in perfect shape on either side 
• Is the space too long for the teeth to support

Many times dental implants are a better long-term solution.

Dr. Mann, DDS: Dental Implants Manchester NH Dental Care

If you have a missing tooth or if your teeth are in bad shape and need to be restored, dental crowns or bridges may be the best solution. Dr. Mann at Mann Family Dental is the premier choice for this type of cosmetic dental procedure in Manchester, NH.

Connect with us today to schedule a consultation so that we can go through all your options together!