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February 16th, 2010 admin

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The Low Down on Dental Crowns and Tooth Bridges

Dental crowns and bridges are man-made, fixed, dental prosthetic structures used to replace one or more of a patient’s teeth. The fact that dental structures of these types are “fixed” means that, unlike removable structures such as dentures or retainers, dental crowns and bridges are cemented onto existing teeth or dental implants, which means that if you want to remove them, you’re going to have to schedule a visit with your New York general dentist.

The Difference Between Crowns and Bridges

There are several reasons your natural teeth may need to be replaced. A tooth may be fractured in an accident, may become untreatably discolored, may lose too much mass to cavity deterioration, or may need to undergo a root canal. In all of these cases, the root of the tooth is preserved, and a dental crown is used to cover or “cap” whatever is left of the original tooth. This is the major difference between crowns and bridges. Like, their architectural counterparts, New York dental bridges are used to span an area of empty space, however, these tooth replacements do not keep missing tooth roots alive. Tooth roots are what actually attach your teeth into the jaw bone, so while crowns are cemented directly onto either an existing or man-made tooth root connection, such as an implant, bridges simply fit up against the gum line and are actually secured to the teeth or implants on either side of the gap. This has several drawbacks because tooth roots perform a singularly important function within the mouth.

The Function of Tooth Roots

If you press you teeth together as if chewing, you’ll notice that you can feel a distinct sensation of pressure moving from your teeth to your gums. There are two reasons for this. First, your teeth have nerves, which cause you to feel sensation, and second, your teeth are embedded into your jaw bone by a structure called the tooth root. Besides keeping your teeth in place, tooth roots play a vital role- just ask any New York dentist. To maintain proper form and density, also known as bone mass, your jaw bone needs the constant stimulate and pressure it receives from that root connection. Without it, your jaw bone deteriorates, resulting in loss of shape, facial muscle tone, and a host of dental problems ultimately leading to further tooth loss. This doesn’t mean that you need individual crowns or implants for each lost tooth. Bridges are still the most recommended replacement methods for larger areas.

Combining Crowns and Bridges

Current thinking in the New York dentistry field favors combining tooth root saving or replacing structures such as crowns and implants with bridges for replacement of more than two or more teeth. Strategic placement of these embedded structures allows patients to maintain their jaw bone health, and can prevent your dentist from needing to whittle down perfectly good teeth to attach your bridge structure to. So next time someone tries to sell you a dental bridge, ask if they’ll throw in a crown or two.

About the Author

For more information about New York general dentist Dr. Jeff Golub-Evans please visit http://www.nyccd.com

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