Best options for missing teeth

Damaged or missing teeth can cause pain, irritate gums, and make your smile unsightly. Maybe a popcorn kernel cracked your tooth, or your mouth took the brunt of a fall. Whatever the case, a broken tooth may expose nerves and heightens the risk for infection. Gaps between teeth cause remaining teeth to drift and leads to loss of jawbone density. Dentists offer different treatment options for a single tooth replacement, like dental crowns and bridges. How much do you know about them? In this article, Dr. James Fondriest tests your knowledge on crowns and bridges.

Questions

  1. True or False: Dental bridges replace more than one tooth.
  2. True or False: Crowns replace missing teeth.
  3. True or False: Bridges can match the color of your teeth, but crowns cannot.

Answers

  1. True. While dental crowns cover only one damaged tooth, bridgework can replace multiple missing teeth. A bridge consists of a replacement tooth or teeth (called pontics) and crowns. Dr. Fondriest crowns teeth surrounding the gap to anchor the pontic, restoring a full row of teeth.
  2. False. Bridgework replaces missing teeth, but crowns do not. Instead, crowns cover a broken or damaged tooth, restoring its strength. Dr. Fondriest shapes the broken tooth to fit the crown. Our porcelain crowns may require less reshaping of teeth, as modern dental porcelain can be crafted very thin. Dental bridges are excellent alternatives to dental implants.
  3. False. Dr. Fondriest offers color-matched bridges and crowns. Our all-porcelain and porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns resemble the color of your remaining teeth. Our bridges also look like natural teeth and can be sculpted to match apparent wear on surrounding teeth.

Learn more about your options with missing teeth

Do you want a new tooth? Eating with tooth loss can be difficult. Especially if you have lost many teeth. There are many types of replacement teeth available. Contact us to discuss the right treatment plan for you. We can also repair loose dental appliances and improve the look of metal dental work with ceramic alternatives. Call (847) 234-0517 to schedule an appointment .

Dr Fondriest is a Nationally recognized and highly sought after cosmetic dentist serving clients from throughout the United States