Dental-related problems can disturb your everyday routine, forcing you to experience discomfort and pain with any little engagement that has to do with your teeth. Your teeth are supposed to serve you your entire life without decaying or contracting infections. Therefore, you should always treat them with significant care for them to last your whole lifetime. However, even after caring for your teeth to your level best, they may still get infections that may lead to you extracting them, leaving gaps in your mouth that are not so good-looking.

The good news is that you can fill up these gaps and restore your smile, confidence, and beauty. Dental crowns and bridges are widespread and common dental procedures performed throughout the world to restore patients’ missing teeth. At Northridge Dentist, we offer this treatment at competitive prices. If you have missing teeth and are considering either a dental crown or dental bridge procedure, kindly visit our clinic, and you will get to know how we conduct the treatment.

What are Crowns and Bridges?

Most dental bridges and crowns are fixed artificial devices. Unlike detachable devices like dentures, which can be removed and cleaned daily, bridges and crowns are cemented on the existing implants or teeth. It’s only a dentist who can remove them.

How Bridges and Crowns are Made

Before a bridge or a crown is made, your tooth has to be trimmed to size so the bridge or crown can fit onto it properly. Once the tooth has been trimmed, the dentist takes an impression so he/she can provide a precise mold for your bridge or crown. If the dentist is to use porcelain, he/she will need to decide on the right shade for your bridge or crown to resemble the color of the natural teeth.

By using the impression that your dentist makes, a dental laboratory will then make your bridge or crown using the material the dentist chooses. Your dentist will fix a temporary bridge or crown to cover the tooth he/she has prepared while the permanent bridge or crown is being molded. Once the permanent bridge or crown is ready, your dentist will remove the temporary bridge or crown and cement the new bridge or crown over the prepared tooth.

While a crown and bridge can last a patient’s lifetime, sometimes they fall out or become loose. The most critical step to take to make sure they last longer as they should is, practicing good dental hygiene. Bridges may lose their support if dental diseases damage the bone or the teeth holding them in place. You should keep your teeth and gums healthy by brushing using fluoride toothpaste two times a day as well as flossing daily. Also, visit your hygienist and dentist routinely for professional cleanings and checkups. For you to prevent damaging your new bridge or crown, avoid chewing ice, hard foods, and other hard items.

How Crowns Work

Dental crowns are used to cap or cover damaged teeth. Apart from strengthening damaged teeth, crowns may also be used for enhancing their shape, alignment, or appearance. Crowns may also be fixed onto implants to provide teeth-like shapes and structures for function. Ceramic crowns or porcelain can match the color of your original teeth. The other materials used for making crowns include metal alloys and gold, ceramic, and acrylic. Generally, these metal alloys are more robust compared to porcelain, and your dentist can recommend them for your back teeth. Often, porcelains attached to metal shells are used since they are both attractive and reliable.

Your dentist can recommend dental crowns to:

  • Replace large fillings when there is no enough tooth remaining in the gap

  • Protect weak teeth from fracturing

  • Restore fractured teeth

  • Attach bridges

  • Cover dental implants

  • Cover poorly shaped or discolored teeth

  • Cove the teeth that have undergone root canal treatment

Gold, All-Porcelain, and Porcelain-Fused-to-Metal

As we mentioned earlier, we have three main options of restorative materials used for the coverage of crowns. These include:

  • Gold

  • All-porcelain (all-ceramic)

  • Porcelain-fused-to-metal

The material to be used is chosen depending on the dental demands, strength requirements, aesthetic demands, durability of the material, and the available restorative space.

Porcelain-Fused-to-Metal

A porcelain-fused-to-metal crown provides a durable, aesthetic, and reliable option of treatment. One key factor for the functional and aesthetic success of a porcelain-fused-to-metal crown is making sure the structure of the tooth that’s prepared for the crown to be attached provides sufficient room for the relevant density of the selected material. Also, the artistic expertise of the lab technologist molding the restoration usually determines the aesthetic appeal of the crown.

One consideration when it comes to a porcelain-fused-to-metal material option is it tends to reveal the underlying gold or metal edge at the gum line when gums start to recede. A few patients choose to go for this kind of material but later replace it to keep a great aesthetic advantage. A crown that has this kind of material and, at the same time, has an all-porcelain collar could remove this vulnerability.

Gold

Even though it’s not a popular treatment option for aesthetically-related reasons, gold can still be used in particular instances. For instance, a patient who has strong bites or the ones that have parafunctional habits like clenching and grinding may be served better with a crown of gold. This traditional material can be a more reliable pillar to the adjacent natural teeth.

Gold is durable, which makes it the appropriate choice for teeth that are in the back of your mouth like molars and premolars, where they won’t be entirely visible. A gold crown offers significant longevity and requires less preparation compared to the other alternatives. When you are chewing food, gold has less abrasiveness to the opposite tooth compared to porcelain. This fact helps prevent the wearing off of your teeth.

All-Ceramic

The most popular material selection when it comes to an all-ceramic crown is aluminous and zirconia. They give an aesthetic option that is metal-free with several other benefits.

By removing the need to have supportive metal cores, esthetic all-ceramic crowns can be molded with a reduced density of the material, which makes it more favorable in areas that have limited space. Also, the removal of metal cores allows light to be efficiently transmitted through the porcelain. This gives the crowns life-like characteristics, better optical, and an increased aesthetics level.

These materials are still evolving in durability and strength, but again, care has to be exercised when it comes to locations of a patient’s mouth that require massive function. Ongoing research is evaluating the noteworthy vulnerabilities of crowns of this material in these areas.

The Cost of Dental Crowns

The cost of a crown depends on various factors. They include the location, the training and expertise of your dentist, the technical requirements of the treatment, and the skills and training of your dental technologist.

The price of a crown can range between $1000 and $3500 and last between ten and fifteen years or more, though the outcome varies based on the patient’s specific considerations. In aesthetic situations, it could help to ask your dentist to provide clinical photos of treatments they have performed before to see the skill and expertise of the selected dental team that will work on your procedure.

If your insurance provider doesn’t cover your treatment, or if you do not have insurance coverage, you can enlist third-party financing company services. You could work with that financing company to form a payment plan, for instance, a monthly plan, which fits into their budget.

Problems and Risks Associated With Crowns

Crown placement is among the most common types of dental treatment procedures performed on patients throughout the world. Due to their common nature, it’s almost impossible to get wrong, any step of the treatment procedure. That is why the frequency of problems and risks linked to the treatment process is not as high.

However, for safety purposes, your dentist may always recommend that you be observant for any signs and symptoms that could indicate a possible problem with the crown after your treatment has ended. Here are a few of the potential issues and risks that are most likely to result in problems to patients:

  • Having allergic reactions after undergoing treatment

  • Injuries to your blood vessels because of the anesthesia

  • Loosening or chipping of crowns

  • Infection incidences in your tooth

  • Having an injury in your mouth

  • Extreme tooth sensitivity from cold or hold items

  • The crown falling out

We only have a few rare situations when these problems and risks may arise. For you to prevent them, you can follow a few preventative measures that might save you from experiencing these conditions. These measures include:

  • As your dentist will recommend, obey a routine schedule of lifestyle and activity restrictions, both after your treatment has ended and during the procedure

  • Your dentist may recommend dietary restrictions. Always stick to these recommendations because eating has direct effects on the condition of your treatment

  • If, after undergoing treatment, you start to experience fever or other medical conditions that don’t seem to arise for any evident reason, you should inform your dentist early enough because they could be an indication that you are contracting an infection

  • In the case of women, it’s wise to notify your dentist if you’re pregnant

  • Finding it difficult to chew is another sign you should inform your dentist

  • Always take the prescribed medications and in the precise dosages as your dentist recommended

  • Should you have any pre-existing allergic reactions, you have to inform your dentist about them so that he/she can consider them while treating you

When you are preparing to go through a treatment procedure to place dental crowns, ensure you respond to all the questions your dentist asks you correctly & accurately. This is critical to make sure nothing goes wrong with the treatment. Should you’ve any existing medications or prescriptions that you are taking, we recommend that you carry with you a record of them when going to visit your dentist. After that, ensure that if your dentist asks you to adjust how you take a given drug, you comply with his/her directions.

Also, it is a wise decision to have all your doubts concerning the treatment cleared and all the questions answered before your dentist starts the treatment procedure.

How Bridges Work

Your dentist may recommend a dental bridge if you are missing a single or several teeth. A gap created by a missing tooth eventually causes the other remaining teeth to shift or rotate into the left space, leading to poor biting. The imbalance created by the missing tooth can also result in temporomandibular joint disorders and gum disease.

A bridge is commonly used for replacing one or several missing teeth. It spans the space left by the missing tooth. A bridge is cemented onto the implants or natural teeth that are adjacent to the empty gap. These teeth, known as abutments, act as supporters for the dental bridge. A false tooth is affixed to the crowns covering the abutments. Just like crowns, you do have different choices of materials when it comes to bridges. You can consult your dentist who may help in deciding which color to use, depending on where the gap left by the missing tooth is located, the function of the bridge, cost, and aesthetic considerations. A ceramic or porcelain bridge can resemble the color of your existing teeth.

Types of Dental Bridges

There are four options of dental bridges you can choose from to replace your missing teeth. These include:

  1. Traditional Bridges

A traditional dental bridge is the most popular type. It consists of a fake tooth (pontic), and it’s held in position by a dental crown. A dental crown is also known as an abutment. It is cemented on top of the two teeth neighboring the missing tooth.

A patient can use a dental bridge when he/she has natural teeth on the two sides of the gap left by the missing tooth. A bridge is strong enough that it can replace even molars. The disadvantage of a traditional bridge is that the dentist will have to make ready the neighboring teeth by extracting their enamel to create space for the crown that’ll be cemented onto them. Since enamel does not grow back, the teeth whose enamel has been removed will always have to be safeguarded with crowns. This will remain the case even if the patient chooses to place another kind of bridge.

  1. Maryland Bridges

A Maryland dental bridge is regarded as a conservative alternative to a traditional bridge. This bridge consists of a false tooth that’s supported by a porcelain or metal framework. The framework is fixed on the backs of those two teeth that border the missing or extracted tooth. Because this kind of bridge is not held in position using crowns, the neighboring teeth don’t have to get filed.

Whereas a Maryland bridge is more conservative compared to a traditional bridge, it does have its downsides. For instance, its strength is restricted by the strength of the resin that supports it in its place. Therefore, this bridge may not stick in position in mouth areas where your teeth are exposed to much biting force, for example, the molars. Also, the framework may make it difficult for you to bite or hinder your gum’s operation.

  1. Cantilever Bridges

A cantilever bridge is another missing tooth replacement option. It is quite similar to a traditional bridge, but the fake tooth is held in place using an abutment that’s placed only on one side instead of both sides. Therefore, if there is only a single natural tooth adjacent to the gap, it’s still possible to secure the bridge.

Like a traditional bridge, the dentist will have to make ready the neighboring tooth that’s to hold the bridge, and he/she will do this by extracting its enamel. Since this bridge is only anchored on one of its sides, it can act as a lever in particular cases. This may result in complications like loosened crowns or fractured teeth.

  1. Implant-Supported Bridges

An implant-supported bridge is another alternative for missing tooth replacement. You can go for this option when you have several missing teeth. Rather than being supported by a framework or crown, this bridge is held in place by a dental implant. Usually, a single implant is fixed for each missing tooth then this set of implants supports the bridge to its position. But, the bridge might be made up of a false tooth suspended in-between two implant-supported crowns in case fixing a single implant for each lost tooth is not possible.

Since an implant secures this bridge, it feels more comfortable and secure, just in the same way as the missing natural tooth it replaces. And, just in the same way you do your original teeth, you need a high-quality toothbrush to maintain the health of your teeth and mouth. One disadvantage of this bridge is that you will require two surgeries to fix the implant. The first surgery is to attach the implant while the second is to affix the bridge. Thus, you can expect to have a waiting period of five months at the minimum to have your completed implant-supported bridge.

Your dentist could close those gaps in your smile using any type of dental bridge. With the various kinds of dental bridges that we have, you can be self-assured that your dentist will get an ideal remedy for the extracted or missing teeth.

How Much Does a Bridge Cost?

We have several variables that could affect the pricing of dental bridges. They include:

  • The total number of teeth one needs to fill their gap

  • Difficulty/complexity of placing the bridge

  • Materials used like zirconia, metal amalgam covered in resin, etc.

  • Geographic location

  • Further treatments for additional dental problems like gum disease

The cost also depends on the kind of bridge you choose for your missing teeth. Let’s take a look at the approximate price ranges of dental bridge types we have discussed.

  • A cantilever or traditional bridge generally costs between $2000 and $5000 for a single false tooth and a crown for every abutment tooth.

  • An implant-supported bridge may cost between $5000 and $15000 for a dental bridge that has two implants extending over to four or three teeth

  • A Maryland bridge typically costs between $1500 and $2500 for a single false tooth with the wings or framework affixed to the abutment tooth

The Dangers Associated With Dental Bridges

It’s quite unusual to hear any dental bridge-related problems. Complications linked to the same haven’t been reported. However, dental processes, by their nature, involve a given degree of danger and the possibility to lead to one or several problems. Whereas your dentist may observe every measure to make sure that you face no problem, he/she will request you to be alert of these conditions if they may arise:

  • Any form of an allergic reaction to the type of materials used to make the bridge

  • Any emergence of infection on your teeth that may suggest there’s a problem with the dental bridge

  • Any kind of teeth loosening or chipping and loss of the dental bridge

  • Injury to your teeth or the mouth

  • A higher-than-usual sensitivity to cold or hot foods

In case and the moment you experience any of the above conditions or symptoms, ensure you visit your dentist at the appropriate time.

Find Competitive General Dentistry Services Near Me

Since dental bridges and crowns are among the most popular dental treatment procedures performed throughout the world and in California, it’s no doubt that several dental clinics offer these treatments. However, coming across the best clinic that provides competitive services is not that easy. For your benefit, which includes getting the value for your money, you need to always opt for trusted services when it’s a question of addressing your dental problems. Northridge Dentist offers trusted services to Northridge residents. We have won the trust and satisfaction of thousands of patients, thanks to our consistent quality service delivery and a commitment to remain reliable. You can be among these patients and attest to our cost-effective services. Call us at 818-875-0216 if you wish to undergo a dental crown or dental bridge procedure, and let us restore your smile, beauty, and confidence right away.