Restore Damaged Teeth and Replace Missing Teeth

Dental crowns and bridges are fixed restorations used to rebuild damaged teeth or replace selected missing teeth. They can play an important role in restorative dentistry by improving tooth strength, function and appearance when appropriately indicated.

What Is a Dental Crown?

A crown covers and protects a prepared tooth. It may be considered when a tooth has lost significant structure or requires additional protection.

Crowns may be recommended for:

• Extensively damaged teeth
• Heavily restored teeth
• Certain cracked or weakened teeth
• Teeth following root canal treatment when indicated
• Implant restorations
• Selected aesthetic rehabilitation cases

The material and design are chosen according to the tooth’s position, functional demands and aesthetic requirements.

What Is a Dental Bridge?

A bridge replaces one or more missing teeth by connecting an artificial tooth or teeth to supporting structures. Depending on the case, support may come from suitable natural teeth or dental implants.

A detailed assessment helps determine whether a bridge, implant or another tooth-replacement option is more appropriate.

Treatment Planning

Before treatment, the dentist evaluates:

• Remaining tooth structure
• Gum health
• Bite
• Supporting teeth
• Space available
• Aesthetic requirements

For crowns supported by natural teeth, the tooth is carefully prepared and an impression or digital scan may be obtained. A custom restoration is then fabricated and subsequently evaluated for fit, bite and appearance.

Natural-Looking Restorations

Visible restorations require attention to colour, shape and proportion so they integrate with surrounding teeth. However, appearance is only one consideration. The restoration must also function appropriately within the patient’s bite.

Caring for Crowns and Bridges

Crowns and bridges still require regular oral hygiene. The edges of restorations and supporting teeth need particular attention.

Patients should maintain:

• Regular brushing
• Flossing or appropriate interdental cleaning
• Professional examinations
• Routine dental cleaning
• Any specific maintenance recommended by the dentist

At Illuminate, crowns and bridges are planned as part of the patient’s overall dental health, helping restore compromised teeth while maintaining a balanced relationship between strength, function and aesthetics.