Dental Crowns and Bridges
At Desai Family Dentistry, we offer natural-looking dental crowns and bridges made using premium materials and customized to look like a natural part of your smile. With our high-quality tooth restorations, you can smile confidently, and no one will ever know you have a decayed or broken tooth or gaps in your smile left by missing teeth.
When Do You Recommend Dental Crowns?
Sometimes people refer to crowns as caps or tooth caps because they cover the entire visible part of a damaged tooth. The crown protects the tooth from further damage and creates a new surface for you to chew on comfortably. Common reasons our dentist would recommend a crown are:
- Restore a tooth that is too decayed for a filling
- Strengthen a worn, cracked, or broken tooth
- Protect a tooth after root canal treatment
- Support a dental bridge
- Restore a dental implant
Dr. Desai wants you to feel confident and informed before you make any treatment decision. If he recommends a crown, he'll explain why and share x-rays and intraoral photos of the tooth. You can see the problem yourself and understand how a crown protects the tooth and benefits your long-term oral health.
What’s Involved with Getting a Dental Crown?
Getting a crown requires two appointments at our Hempstead, NY, dental office.
At the first visit, Dr. Desai numbs your tooth to ensure you don't feel anything, then removes a thin layer of tooth enamel, so the new crown fits properly. Next, he takes impressions to create a model of your teeth. The final step for this visit is placing a temporary crown on the tooth to protect it while we wait for the dental lab to customize your final crown.
The second appointment occurs after we receive your new crown back from the lab. We carefully remove the temporary and try the crown on the tooth to ensure it fits well, and you can bite down comfortably. The last step is to cement the crown securely to the tooth.
How Long Does a Dental Crown Last?
We use only the highest quality zirconia and other durable materials to ensure our crowns are long-lasting and provide years of service. If you want to extend its lifespan, avoid chewing on foods like crusty bread and crunchy chips that could damage the crown. The restoration won't decay, but you still need to brush twice daily, floss once, and visit us for teeth cleanings every six months to avoid a cavity developing in the tooth underneath it.
With proper care, your new crown could last 20 years or longer.
How Does a Dental Bridge Work?
A dental bridge is a tooth restoration we recommend to replace one or two missing teeth in a row. The bridge is commonly made of three pieces, including an artificial tooth called a pontic with a crown on either side. The pontic sits in the gap, and we attach the crowns to teeth on either side of the gap, which holds the bridge securely in place.
Getting a dental bridge is similar to a crown and requires two appointments to complete. The lifespan of a dental bridge is 5–15 years, and the better you care for your oral health, the longer its lifespan will be.
Do You Need a Dental Crown or Bridge?
If you have broken, worn, or missing teeth and wonder if a crown or bridge is the right solution, we can help you! Please call our Hempstead, NY, dental office at (516) 481-8906 to schedule an appointment.
