Your Port Orchard cosmetic dentist can show you several ways to fill gaps in your smile - including the time-tested options of dental crowns, and implant-retained crowns, and fixed bridges. All these options are natural-looking, gap-eliminating choices for the individual who have lost teeth or have seriously compromised teeth because of:
- accident
- decay
- cracks and chips
- discoloration and stains
- root canal therapy
The dental crown
After a thorough smile evaluation, the dentist may recommend placing a porcelain or porcelain and metal alloy crown, over a tooth. The crowns are custom fabricated and match the rest of the teeth in your mouth for color, size, and shape. The dental crown restores the look, feel and function of a tooth, and, of course, it leaves no gap behind. Durable and lasting for 8 to 10 years with proper dental hygiene, the dental crown is permanently cemented in place and perfectly accommodates the patient's natural bite.
The dentist does remove old fillings and some tooth enamel to shape the tooth to receive the crown. Sometimes, a crown is placed over a dental implant after a tooth extraction or it may be used as an anchor for a fixed bridge, the other traditional method of closing gaps in a smile.
The fixed bridge
The fixed bridge is a restoration consisting of one or more replacement teeth. It is joined to neighboring natural teeth with dental crowns. Just as with dental crowns, the fixed, non-removable bridge is fabricated in a lab according to an impression taken by the dentist and follows the doctor's treatment plan. The new bridge fills the gap exactly with a tooth (or teeth) that is the right color, size, shape, and bite. The match is so good that the restoration is virtually indistinguishable from the natural teeth.
According to the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, the fixed bridge should last 7 to 10 years or more. As with the dental crown, the patient should:
- floss around his bridgework once a day and brush twice daily
- see his dentist for routine cleanings and check-ups twice a year
- be gentle with the restorations, never chewing ice or other hard foods or tearing open packaging with the teeth (natural or not)
You can have that complete and natural-looking smile.