Crowns and Bridges
Bridges fill space between large gaps and missing teeth and are not exclusively cosmetic. As a more affordable, less evasive procedure to implants and orthodontics, they help to improve the appearance of teeth without replacing or straightening. Similarly, Crowns help to cap and repair chipped or cracked teeth, restoring them to their normal shape.
Types of dental crowns
All Resin – These are normally used for temporary coverage. However they do not last long like other types of crowns because they are not very fracture resistant.
All Metal – This includes gold alloy and other base metal alloys. Metal crowns are the toughest. They rarely break or chip and can resist daily wear and tear. The only disadvantage is that they look like metal and not a natural tooth.
Ceramic fused to Metal – They merge the strength of the metal along with the aesthetics of porcelain. Although the porcelain is somewhat more prone to chipping, they are still tough. They are the most commonly used crowns now.
All Ceramic – These crowns are best aesthetically and have the advantage of being ‘metal free’. This is a big advantage even for subsequent scan in the face and head region since it does not produce ‘scatter’ during CT scans.
Dental Bridges
A dental bridge restores missing teeth by “bridging” the space between two existing teeth. The crowns are fixed over the remaining teeth to hold the false tooth in place.
To design a bridge, the reshaping of the abutment tooth or teeth is done to make space for the crowns. Then the mould of the teeth is made. This mould is then sent to a laboratory, where the crowns and bridge are made.
They prevent the nearby teeth from moving or shifting in the oral cavity and also stabilize the bite of a patient with missing one or more teeth. Unlike partial dentures, bridges are fixed; patients need not remove them. The lost tooth is replaced with an artificial one attached between two crowns, and is permanently cemented onto the adjacent teeth.
Removable Partial Dentures
Removable partial dentures replace teeth lost due to decay, periodontal disease or injury. They replace the missing teeth, utilizing the remaining teeth to support and secure the removable partial denture. Removable partial dentures are a functional, aesthetic and cost-effective means of tooth replacement. They can be removed to clean the denture or the remaining natural teeth. They are different types of removable dentures like:
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Cast partial denture
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Acrylic partial denture
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Flexible partial denture