Crowns & Bridges | National Dental Specialists Group

Restore structure and balance to your teeth.

From chipped, cracked, broken, decayed or missing teeth, your National Dental Care dentist works with you to restore your teeth so that simple things like eating, talking and smiling are returned to normal.

Porcelain Crowns

Porcelain Bridges

Dental Crowns

As the name suggests, a crown is a cap or covering for a tooth. It is used when your tooth is discoloured, cracked or broken, heavily filled or if fillings have been lost.

There are many different types of dental crowns available from your National Dental Care dentist. Your dentist will advise the best option depending on the location of the crown. They may recommend a ceramic, resin or sometimes even gold crowns.

Our dentists use their expertise and modern technology to match the new crown to the shape of your existing teeth and their colour.

Many of our National Dental Care dentists offer Same Day Crowns using CAD/CAM technology to design, produce and insert ceramic restorations all in one single appointment. Find out which practices offer Same Day Crowns.

When would I need a crown?

Cover discoloured or worn teeth
If you feel that your teeth are becoming more transparent or becoming darker in colour, they may be wearing down. Your dentist will discuss the reasons behind this as it is important that they are addressed first. If your dentist recommends a crown restoration, then this crown will be fabricated to resemble the natural shape and strength of your existing tooth through the use of a ceramic material.

Replacement of a large filling
If your teeth are heavily filled, they may be at risk of fractures or de-bonding of fillings. Frequent replacement of fillings can lead to loss of precious tooth structure. Repeated dental treatment on the same tooth may lead to deepening of the filling and subsequent nerve inflammation. To avoid these complications, your dentist may recommend that a crown is constructed before the filling becomes too large and remaining tooth structure is too short to support a crown.

To stop a tooth from further cracking or fracturing
If your tooth is showing fine lines and cracks or you occasionally feel sensitivity when biting into sticky or hard foods, your tooth may have a deep crack or may be at risk of complete fracture. This is common for heavily filled teeth, especially where an amalgam filling is in place. Your dentist may recommend a crown to restore the tooth and protect its cusps from splitting apart and may suggest replacing any amalgam with a ceramic restoration.

To anchor a bridge replacing a missing tooth
If a tooth is missing or lost, your dentist will discuss the options for tooth replacement. This may involve the placement of an implant or tooth supported bridge. If two or more teeth directly adjacent to the lost or missing tooth are at risk of fracture or are discoloured and need crowns, a bridge may be a good option to replace the missing tooth. When the bridge is produced, a porcelain tooth (pontic) is fused to the two or more crowns on either side and once the crowns are fitted onto the adjoining teeth, the porcelain pontic appears to be emerging out of the gum. A bridge may be a suitable course of treatment for you if you are unable to have an implant due to issues with your overall health or dental health.

After root canal treatment
Root canal filled teeth are prone to fractures, due to the nature of root canal treatment and hollowing out of the tooth in the process. Dentists highly recommend crowning most root canal filled teeth to protect them from fractures and further bacterial infections.

Dental Bridges

A dental bridge is a ceramic structure, spanning the gap left by a missing or extracted tooth. A ceramic tooth (pontic) is fused between two or more porcelain crowns on either side of the missing tooth that serve as anchors.

The anchor teeth are shaped to accommodate the crowns and then a bridge is bonded securely over these teeth.

Your National Dental Care dentist will take an impression or a digital scan of your mouth and then using technology and training will design a ceramic tooth to insert between the two existing crowned teeth.

The pontic tooth and the crowns on either side are matched to the colour and the shape of your existing teeth.

Porcelain Crowns

Porcelain Bridges

FAQs

What is a dental crown?

Crowns are coverings for the entire visible part of the tooth. They are used when teeth are broken; old and large fillings are lost; teeth are badly decayed or severely discoloured. They improve the appearance of your natural teeth and can brighten your smile. National Dental Care offers both porcelain and gold materials, taking into consideration where in your mouth the crown is to be placed.

Why do I need a crown?

Dental crowns improve the structure of the tooth. As time goes by, it’s not unusual to find our teeth are no longer structurally sound. Things like lost fillings, decay, chipping and cracking of the enamel can all lead to large-scale problems in a tooth’s surface. If the whole surface of the tooth is problematic but the root system is intact, a crown might be the ideal solution.

What is a dental bridge?

Bridges are the traditional way of replacing missing teeth. A dental bridge is a false tooth, fused between two porcelain crowns to fill in the area left by a missing tooth. The two crowns holding it in place are attached to teeth on each side of the false tooth.

What types of dental bridges are available?

There are several types, and which one we recommend depends on where it will go in your mouth, your bite and also the aesthetic and functional considerations.

A bridge will keep teeth from drifting into the space created by a missing tooth, helping preserve normal function and a normal bite for the jaw joint. In the most common type of bridge, crowns are applied to the two teeth on either side of a gap (where teeth have been removed). This involves joining three crowns, including a crown to fill the gap.

A bridge is suitable in areas where teeth on either side of the gap have been filled and would benefit from restoration with crowns. If the teeth beside the gap don’t have fillings, it might be better to explore options such as implants. This avoids having to cut otherwise-perfect teeth.