Crowns And Bridges Specialist

Crystal Dental of Fresno

General Dentistry & Cosmetic Dentistry located in Fresno, CA

With advanced crowns and bridges made from high-quality porcelain and other materials, you can forget that you ever lost, damaged, or broke a tooth in the first place. At Crystal Dental of Fresno, located in Fresno, California, Diana Correa-Velosa, DDS, and her team can design crowns and bridges that last for years and teach you how to care for them. Request your consultation for crowns or bridges by phone or online today.

Crowns and Bridges Q&A

What are crowns?

Dental crowns are caps that look just like your teeth and fit over them to improve their appearance or function. A crown can even replace a tooth entirely if you have a dental implant. The team at Crystal Dental of Fresno might recommend that you get a crown to cover:

  • A tooth after a root canal
  • A damaged tooth
  • Severe tooth discoloration

The team uses high-quality porcelain that looks nearly indistinguishable from your natural teeth to craft your crown. You also have the option to get gold, metal, or porcelain fused to metal crowns for more strength. 

A team of skilled lab technicians creates your crown using impressions of your mouth and images of your teeth. Before taking the impressions, they reshape your tooth so it can fit under the crown without looking bulky. If the crown is covering a dental implant, the team makes the impression of the abutment attachment on the implant. They cement the crown to your tooth after checking to make sure it fits. 

What are bridges?

Bridges are devices that rely on crowns for support. A dental bridge includes two crowns to go over the healthy teeth on either side of a gap, and one crown, called a pontic, to fill the gap. You can even get a bridge with multiple pontics if you’re missing two or three teeth in a row as long as there are healthy teeth nearby for crowns. 

The process of getting a bridge is similar to getting a regular crown. The team at Crystal Dental of Fresno prepares your teeth for crowns by reducing their size, and then they take impressions to make a device that fits seamlessly. Wearing a bridge provides support for your nearby healthy teeth and your gum tissue after you lose one or more teeth. 

How should I care for my crowns and bridges?

Crown and bridge care is very similar to caring for your natural teeth. Plaque can build up on the devices just as easily as it can on your natural teeth, so you must brush them twice a day and floss between them at least once a day. 

To make your crown or bridge last for as long as possible, you should also avoid biting down on solid objects and using your teeth in place of scissors. If you have a habit of grinding your teeth at night, the team might recommend that you get a night guard to protect your device from wear and tear. 

If you're interested in learning more about your tooth replacement options, call Crystal Dental of Fresno for a consultation or request an appointment online.