A dental crown is made to cover or cap a damaged tooth.
Crowns and bridges are cemented onto existing teeth whereas crowns and bridges on dental implants are predominantly screw retained restorations. Crowns and bridges are permanently fixed in position unlike removable devices such as dentures, which you can take out and clean daily.
A dental crown is custom made and fitted on and over the remaining tooth structure to restore the shape, size, strengthen, restore function of the occlusion and restore aesthetic appearance. Crowns are placed to protect a weakened or fractured tooth, cover and support a tooth with a large filling, hold a dental bridge in place and to cover dental implants. Crowns are also placed for aesthetic reasons to replace misshaped, broken down and severely discoloured teeth.
Dental crowns and bridges are made from stainless steel, all metal (e.g. gold), porcelain fused to metal, all resin, al ceramic or zirconia.
Dental bridges are used to replace one or more missing teeth. Bridges can also be placed for aesthetic reasons to restore a smile in case of tooth loss. The gaps left by missing teeth can cause the remaining teeth to move, rotate, shift or erupt into the empty spaces. This can eventually lead to occlusal changes, imbalance, change in the bite and problems with the TMJ.
The dental bridge span the space where the tooth or teeth are missing, restoring the aesthetics and function in the mouth. The bridge is cemented in position onto the surrounding supporting teeth. If the bridge is placed on implants it would predominantly be secured to the implants by screws.