Crowns and Bridges

A dental crown or ‘cap’ ,is a custom lab made restoration that covers the entire surface of the tooth and is like a “helmet” protecting and strengthening weakened or damaged tooth structure. The tooth is prepared to a specific design and an impression is taken and for a custom made crown to be made to accurately fit to the preparation of your tooth. Subsequently, when the crown has been fabricated , it’s fit is checked and it is cemented onto your tooth . The crown can be made out of different materials and the material best suited to your mouth will require careful examination and consideration. Frequently, it is made by a laboratory and therefore requires 2 appointments and in the intervening period your tooth will be protected by a temporary crown. At Q Dental we have the latest technology and use highly accurate digital impressions for our Cerec TM same day crowns .

The cost of a single unit crown can range from anywhere between $1600 to $2800. Just like cars, not all crowns are the same. Cheap cars tend to not last as long and the same applies to crowns. Getting the cheapest crown will frequently cost you much more than any initial saving you may have made. A good crown is a feat of engineering and the result of attention to very fine detail. It is an exercise in precision. This will all affect how long the crowns last. Crowns can only be cheap if one takes less time which then compromises the fit, and leaves a micro gap between the crown and the underlying tooth, which allows leakage of bacteria around and under the crown, causing decay.

This often leads to not only the cost of a new crown, but the additional visits and cost of a root canal treatment or perhaps the need to replace the tooth entirely with an implant. The resultant initial “saving” results in an extra cost of several times that amount.

Our dentists take the time to prepare the tooth in such a way to engineer the tooth to retain the crown for many years as well as a precise, smooth finish line to which the crown can be fabricated to fit within 20 microns .. Additionally, we replace any existing restoration on the tooth with a new one to ensure that when the crown is placed on the tooth we can be confident that it is placed in optimal conditions and will last as long as possible.

Statistical averages show that an average crown lasts around 10 years. This statistic includes cheaper crowns . At Q Dental our dentists’ crowns routinely exceed that . They each have more than 2 decades of experience and know the long term results of their work .They each take the time to do it right the first time, so your crown will last as long as possible and coupled with regular professional maintenance with our Dental Hygienists and Oral Health Therapists, your crown should last many decades.

A bridge is a fixed dental restoration used to replace missing teeth by placing crowns on two or more teeth, usually on either side of a gap, that have an artificial tooth suspended between them to bridge the gap. Bridges can help restore function and aesthetics and prevent drifting of the teeth in the same arch as well as over eruption of the tooth opposing the gap, due to it being functionless.

Bridges require even more precision than individual crowns because the supporting teeth are now fused to each other and now must function together. As they usually have different root anatomies and are at different angles this places strain on the adhesion between the supporting crowns and the underlying tooth. This is compounded by the teeth each carrying a greater load. Bridges are also more difficult to clean and maintain than individual crowns. Despite all the above challenges, dental bridges from Q Dental can last many years.

Cleaning under a dental bridge requires some additional dental hygiene aids, such as superfloss which has an additional spongy area which is used to clean under the tooth which fills the gap. This is to ensure no odour develops. You may also need a floss threader to assist in pulling the floss under the bridge. Sometimes a water pick can be of assistance to help keep it clean as it requires less dexterity.

Each treatment option has its advantages and disadvantages.

The advantages of an implant are:

• You are just replacing the missing tooth.
• It does not involve any preparation of the adjacent teeth .
• It functions independently of the adjacent teeth and places no extra loading on the adjacent teeth.
• An implant/s can be placed if there are only teeth on one side of the missing tooth gap.
• If the crown on an implant tooth requires replacement, it can be replaced individually. Implants are easier to clean than a bridge.

The disadvantages are :

• It is a surgical procedure( albeit minor) which , like any surgical procedure has some risks associated with it.
• There must be sufficient bone to accommodate the implant
• There must be no anatomical structures which would be compromised by an implant being placed, such as the sinus in the upper jaw, or the nerve which supllies sensation to the lip in the lower jaw.
• Angle of adjacent teeth must be suitable for the correct alignment in the placement of the implant.
• Sometimes orthodontic treatment is needed prior to implant treatment to achieve the best results.
• Total cost may be greater than a bridge if the adjacent teeth are weak and need crowns

Not every situation is suitable for both of these options and should be assessed on an individual basis.