Dr. Derek Conover is a leading cosmetic and restorative dentistry dentist in Philadelphia. We offer a variety of treatment options, including dental crowns and bridges. These options can improve your appearance and restore worn, broken, and missing teeth. We create custom crowns and dental bridge treatments in Philadelphia, PA.
Tooth crowns and bridges are two restorative dentistry treatments that address function and aesthetics after tooth damage or loss. Dr. Conover provides comprehensive care with meticulous planning and works with the leading U.S. dental laboratories to create natural-looking restorations.
What is a dental crown?
We place dental crowns (sometimes called caps) to protect teeth after decay, damage, a root canal, or as part of a dental implant. We can also use them to strengthen a damaged tooth with a crack, stains or discoloration, decay, or wear down from teeth grinding. Dentists make crowns from different materials, but they mainly fall into three types.
1. Metal- Alloys can have a high content of gold or platinum or be base-metal alloys (for example, cobalt-chromium and nickel-chromium alloys).
2. Porcelain fused to metal- This includes a metal under-casting and a porcelain outer casing.
3. All Porcelain Ceramic- Different ceramic types’ scores vary in strength and translucency. A good restorative dentist will know which materials create the best esthetic and functional result for each individual patient’s smile and bite. Ceramic crowns are metal-free and are the gold standard for creating a beautiful, natural-looking appearance. Ceramic crowns won’t discolor along the gum area like crowns containing metal can.
Placing a Dental Crown: What to Expect
Many patients avoid dentists because they fear dental treatment will be painful and complicated. However, placing dental crowns on teeth is actually quite simple when done with careful diagnosis and good planning.
Comprehensive Evaluation
The first step in creating crowns for teeth is a comprehensive evaluation with Dr. Conover. He will examine your teeth, gums, jaw joints, bite, and smile, carefully looking for signs of stress, disease, instability, or esthetic concerns. We will gain a clear picture of your situation using diagnostic x-rays, photos, and models of your mouth. From this data, we will determine what we need to address any health, functional, or esthetic concerns before and during treatment.
Treatment Planning
Dr. Conover believes the treatment plan is the most important aspect of cosmetic and restorative dentistry to ensure long-term success. The treatment plan is a set of blueprints to set the path for the restorative procedure. It may include digital imaging, 2-D, and 3-D models. We love to involve patients in this process.
Once we have made a personalized treatment plan that the patient accepts, we then create a custom sequence of treatment visits based on the patient’s preferences (i.e. longer or shorter visits, more frequent or spread out visits, their timeline for completing treatment, etc).
The goal is to achieve the optimal outcome as comfortably and efficiently as possible. Dentistry in our office is virtually pain-free, and we aim to make the experience as pleasant as possible.
Provisional Restoration
Once we finalize the treatment plan for crowns and bridges, Dr. Conover will create a provisional restoration, a temporary crown or bridge, so you can wear it while we wait for the final dental restoration from the dental laboratory. The temporary will give you an opportunity to make sure you are happy with the look, feel, and function of the restoration and provide temporary protection to the tooth.
Final Restoration
The final step in the process is the delivery of your crown or bridge. At this point, we place the final restoration. We assess the fit, function, and esthetics. Finally, we cement or bond the restoration in place.
Dental Crowns: Before and After Photos
Dental Crown FAQs
Learn more about tooth crowns with answers to these common questions:
How long do they last?
Crowns are made from porcelain, ceramic, composite resins, or a combination. Porcelain is the strongest material. Composite resins are much cheaper than porcelain but not as strong or lasting. Depending on how well-maintained they are and the type of material we use, both types of crowns can last anywhere from 10 to 15 years.
Do I need a dental crown?
If your tooth has severe damage, a crown may be necessary. We recommend dental crowns if your tooth is broken or cracked, but not necessarily if there’s minor damage or decay. After an exam and diagnostics, we will recommend the most appropriate treatment option for your needs.
Can I get them done if my teeth are healthy?
Yes. You can get your crowns done even if your teeth are healthy. However, we recommend getting them done before any decay occurs. If you wait until after the damage is done, it may be difficult to save the tooth.
What is a dental bridge?
A dental bridge is a series of dental crowns linked to replace missing teeth or stabilize weaker ones. It can be removable or fixed and made from a variety of tooth-like materials.
Types of Bridgework
Common types of bridges include:
Removable Dental Bridge: We generally reserve these as a temporary or interim solution for missing teeth. There are various options, such as a flipper tooth for plastic flexible partial. The cost may be much less than a fixed dental bridge, but a removable dental bridge does not offer good long-term benefits.
Fixed Dental Bridge: In this type of restoration, we link one or more prosthetic teeth together and support them with dental crowns that cover the teeth on either side of the gap. A caveat to this type of bridge is that it requires a significant reduction of adjacent teeth to ensure a solid foundation for the dental bridge.
Implant-Supported Restorations: Dental implants and implant-supported bridges can replace either a single missing tooth, multiple missing teeth, or even all the teeth in an arch. Implants offer the most stable and naturally functioning results and key long-term oral health and wellness benefits.
Dental Bridge vs. Dental Implant
Implant-supported restorations are an excellent alternative to a fixed dental bridge for replacing missing teeth. For a single missing tooth, an implant crown is a single-tooth solution for a single-tooth problem. Unlike conventional bridges, we do not have to file down the adjacent teeth to attach crowns.
An implant-support bridge is also an option for multiple missing teeth. In this case, we support the bridge using dental implants rather than natural teeth. Again, this option preserves the healthy adjacent natural teeth. It also provides a more stable restoration that will last longer.
Dr. Conover will consider several things when recommending a dental bridge over a dental implant. First, she’ll assess the health of your surrounding teeth and bone structure. You must have a solid foundation for dental implants to be successful. Cost is sometimes a factor for patients with missing teeth. While dental implants generally do cost more than a dental bridge, they offer better long-term results and generally require less repair and maintenance.
Dental Bridge FAQs
Learn more about dental bridge treatment in Philadelphia, PA, with answers to these common questions:
How do I know if my teeth need a bridge?
If you have lost several teeth due to decay or trauma, you should consider getting a dental bridge. If you don’t have any missing teeth but still feel like you need extra protection, you might want to consider getting a partial denture instead.
Do I need a full set of replacement teeth before getting a dental bridge?
No, you do not need a full set of replacement dentures before getting a dental bridge. You only need to replace a few teeth at once.
How long do I have to wait before getting my dental bridge?
You can get your dental bridge immediately after your dentist removes the damaged teeth. You may need to wear a temporary bridge until your new one arrives.
Will my dentist remove my teeth first?
No. Your dentist will ensure your teeth are healthy enough to support the dental bridge. We often recommend replacing them with implants if they aren’t strong enough.
How much is a dental bridge?
The cost of a bridge depends on the type, materials, sedation, and pretreatments. A traditional fixed bridge costs less than an implant bridge. In addition, if you have gum disease or tooth decay, treatments for these problems will factor into your total cost. After a consultation, our office will estimate your bridge cost and help you get an affordable dental bridge. Our office accepts Care Credit and Lending Club.
Call For Care Today
Do you have damaged or missing teeth? Get a crown or dental bridge in Philadelphia, PA, today. Call (215) 395-6076 or schedule an appointment with Dr. Conover online. If you have questions for us, let us know. We will be happy to help you.