What are Dental Crowns and Dental Bridges?
/ Blog
Dental crowns and dental bridges are the recommended solution for teeth that have seen better days; cracked teeth, chipped teeth, missing teeth and decayed teeth with holes.
Dental crowns and bridges can make damaged teeth as good as new. Both crowns and tooth bridges are fixed prosthetic devices. While removable devices like dentures can be taken out for a daily clean, crowns and bridges are cemented onto existing dental implants or teeth and can only be removed by a professional dentist.
What is a dental crown?
A dental crown is actually a cap that fits neatly over a chipped or broken tooth so it doesn’t look chipped or broken anymore. In fact, it makes your tooth look as good as new.
Dental crowns (caps) can be made from – porcelain, ceramic, composite or metal – and can be matched to the colour of your teeth.
When will your dentist recommend a Dental Crown?
The dentist will usually advise on this treatment if:
- A tooth is broken or chipped
- A large filling has fallen out leaving a tooth in danger of fracturing
- To restore a fractured tooth
- To cover a tooth that has had root canal treatment
- To cover a tooth that is discoloured or badly shaped.
Lost a tooth recently due to an extraction or an accident? Chances are your dentist will recommend a dental implant as the solution. Find out 'what are dental implants' in our previous blog.
What is a dental bridge or a tooth bridge?
A dental or tooth bridge is basically what it sounds like, a span to fill a gap. If you have one or two missing teeth, your smile won’t be at its best. Also, gaps left back by missing teeth can cause the rest of the teeth to shift, resulting in a bad bite.
A porcelain or ceramic dental bridge or implant for missing tooth can prevent this. A tooth bridge can be cemented into the empty space left by missing teeth by attaching it to firm natural teeth and implants either side. These surrounding teeth anchor the bridge and look exactly like a tooth, or two teeth if the gap is large.
Why should you get a dental bridge?
Yes, a tooth falls out; we miss it for about an hour and get on with life. The trouble is this: there is now a gaping hole in your mouth; a hole that all the teeth surrounding that hole will slowly, but inexorably fall into.
While this won’t happen overnight, it will happen. A bridge stops everything falling down before it starts.
How much do crowns and tooth bridges cost in Australia?
Well, as you’d expect, cost varies massively from dentist to dentist, so do your homework. You might need to look at some quotes before accepting the first quote you receive from your local dental clinic. Chances are you can have a crown or bridge done for half that a few kilometres down the road.
So what does a crown cost? Depending on the material used for the crown and the complexity of the dental procedure, a dental crown can cost anything from $1100 to $2,000 in Australia.
What does a tooth bridge cost? Anything from $500 to $1,200 per artificial tooth.
