Having damaged or missing teeth can cause a variety of dental issues that can get quite bothersome. It does not, however, have to be such a headache. There are many options to help you, and Dr. Samir Halaka, who has practices in Hollywood, CA and Van Nuys, CA can help you with those dental issues.
A crown is a cap placed directly over one of your damaged or cracked teeth, thereby restoring its shape, size, and appearance. To have a crown placed, you will need to prepare the tooth in question for the crown, usually by reducing it. An impression is then taken and sent to the lab with other measurements to create the crown. When the crown returns from the lab, it is checked and fit into your mouth. Typically, a dentist will make observations such as the color of the crown and bite before sealing the crown into place.
Crowns can be made from many kinds of materials. Metals such as gold are particularly common, but you can also opt for porcelain, ceramic or all-resin crowns as well. Temporary crowns are typically made of stainless steel or acrylic.
There are many benefits of a crown such as:
When you have a gap between one or more missing teeth, you may want a bridge. These start with two crowns that are anchored to the teeth on either side of your gap. Between the crowns are false teeth to cover the gap, which are called pontics. These can be made from many different materials such as gold, porcelain, other alloys or some combination therein. Your bridges are further supported by either dental implants or what is left of your natural teeth.
Much like crowns, bridges offer many different benefits such as: