Prosthodontics

DENTAL CROWNS & BRIDGES

A dental crown is a single tooth-shaped “cap” that is cemented over a tooth to restore its shape and size, strength, and improve its appearance.

A Dental bridge is made up of two or more crowns for the teeth on either side of the gap — these two or more anchoring teeth are called abutment teeth — and a false tooth/teeth in between,are called pontics. They can be made from gold, alloys, porcelain, or a combination of these materials.

Dental bridges are supported by natural teeth or implants.

Why Is a Dental Crown Needed?

A dental crown may be needed in the following situations:

To protect a weak tooth (for instance, from decay) from breaking or to hold together parts of a cracked
tooth
To restore an already broken tooth or a tooth that has been severely worn down
To cover and support a tooth with a large filling when there isn’t a lot of tooth left
To hold a dental bridge in place
To cover misshapened or severely discolored teeth
To cover a dental implant
To make a cosmetic modification

What Are the Benefits of Dental Bridges?
Bridges can:

Restore your smile
Restore the ability to properly chew and speak
Maintain the shape of your face
Distribute the forces in your bite properly by replacing missing teeth
Prevent remaining teeth from drifting out of position

What Types of Dental Bridges Are Available?

There are three main types of dental bridges:

- Traditional bridges involve creating a crown for the tooth or implant on either side of the missing tooth, with a pontic in between. Traditional bridges are the most common type of bridge and are made of either porcelain fused to metal (PFM’s) or you can opt for more esthetic metal free or ceramics options like Zirconia, Layered Emax etc, which can be matched perfectly to you existing natural teeth adding beauty to your natural smile.
- Cantilever bridges are used when there are adjacent teeth on only one side of the missing tooth or teeth. This is not very common any more and is not recommended in the back of the mouth where it can put too much force on other teeth and damage them.
- Maryland bonded bridges (also called a resin-bonded bridge or a Maryland bridge) are made of porcelain, porcelain fused to metal, or plastic teeth and gums supported by a metal or porcelain framework. Metal or porcelain wings often on just one side of the bridge are bonded to your existing teeth.
- Implant-Supported Bridges theses are another option for replacing missing teeth. They can be used when you have more than one tooth missing. Instead of being supported by crowns or frameworks, these bridges are supported by dental implants. Usually, one implant is placed for every missing tooth, and this series of implants holds the bridge in place. However, the bridge may consist of a pontic suspended
  between two implant-supported crowns if placing one implant for every lost tooth isn’t possible

You Don’t need to really worry or get confused about all the various types, as your doctor will explain all the available options to you in detail according to your tooth conditions and even considering your budget!

How much Do Dental Bridges Cost?

The cost of dental bridges varies depending on the type of bridge selected ,the material and the area of the country in which the procedure is performed. We have a range of different materials, suiting your budget, which the dentist will explain , show and recommend for you , after analyzing your teeth and oral conditions. Accordingly you can make an informed decision.

How Long Do Dental Bridges Last?

Dental bridges can last five to 15 years and even longer. With good oral hygiene and regular checkups, it is not unusual for the life span of a fixed bridge to be over 10 years.

Will It Be Difficult to Eat With a Dental Bridge?

Replacing missing teeth with a dental bridge should actually make eating easier. Until you become accustomed to the bridge, eat soft foods that have been cut into small pieces.

Will the Dental Bridge Change How I Speak?

It can be difficult to speak clearly when teeth are missing. Wearing a dental bridge with the anterior teeth in their proper relationship will infact, help you speak articulately .

What Is the Process for Getting a Dental Bridge?

During the first visit for getting a dental bridge, the abutment teeth are prepared. Preparation involves recontouring these teeth by removing a portion of enamel to allow room for a crown to be placed over them. Next, impressions of the teeth are made, which serve as a model from which the bridge, pontic, and crowns will be made by a dental lab. You are given a temporary bridge to wear to protect the exposed teeth and gums while the bridge is being made.

During the second visit, your temporary bridge will be removed and the new porcelain or metal bridge will be checked and adjusted, as necessary, to achieve a proper fit. It may take 1-2 trial visits to check the fit of the metal framework and bite. This is dependent on each individual’s case. Once the fit is verified by the dentist and your bite is comfortable, the bridge is permanently cemented into place after final polishing and glazing.

How Do I Care for a Bridge?

It is important to keep the remaining teeth healthy and strong as the success of the bridge (depending on the type selected) depends on the solid foundation offered by the surrounding teeth.

Brushing twice a day and flossing and using an antiseptic mouthwash help prevent tooth decay and gum disease that can lead to tooth loss.

We give you a proper demonstration of how to properly brush and floss teeth.

Keeping a regular cleaning schedule by visiting the dental office every 6 months for a regular check-up ,will help us diagnose problems at an early stage when treatment has a better prognosis.

Selecting a balanced diet for proper nutrition is also important.

INLAYS & ONLAYS

There are times when a tooth suffers damage (from decay, for example) that is too extensive to be treated with a simple filling — but not extensive enough to need a full-coverage crown. In these cases, the best option for restoring the tooth may be an inlay or onlay.

Both inlays and onlays are considered “indirect” fillings, meaning that they are fabricated outside the mouth (generally at a dental laboratory), and then bonded to the tooth by the dentist. This is in contrast to a “direct” filling, which is applied directly to the cavity by the dentist in one office visit.

An indirect filling is considered an “inlay” when it fits within the little points or “cusps” of a back (premolar or molar) tooth. It is an “onlay” if it covers one or more of these cusps. Either way, the procedure for placing an inl
There are times when a tooth suffers damage (from decay, for example) that is too extensive to be treated with a simple filling — but not extensive enough to need a full-coverage crown. In these cases, the best option for restoring the tooth may be an inlay or onlay.

How It Works

Getting an inlay or onlay is very much like what you would experience having a crown placed, with one important distinction: less of your natural tooth structure will need to be removed by drilling when you receive an inlay or onlay. When you get a crown, the tooth needs to undergo significant reshaping so that it will fit inside its new covering. Since dentistry’s goal is to preserve as much of your natural tooth structure as possible, inlays and onlays may be recommended instead of crowns when a tooth can be restored with this more conservative type of treatment.

The first steps in getting an inlay or onlay are numbing the tooth and surrounding area with a local anesthetic, and then removing the decay. This is done in order to prevent the decay, which is actually a type of infection, from progressing deeper into the tooth.

Once the tooth has been prepared, an impression of it is made (either digitally or with a putty-like material) and sent to the dental laboratory. There, the impression is used to make a model of your tooth for the creation of your inlay/onlay. The final restoration can be made out of a tooth-colored ceramic like Emax/ Zirconia or a resin.

Before you leave the office, a temporary filling will be attached to your tooth to protect it until the permanent restoration is ready. At your second visit, the permanent inlay/onlay will be attached to your tooth with either a resin that hardens when exposed to a special light source, or a type of permanent cement.

Inlays and onlays are very strong, long-lasting, and require no greater level of care than any other tooth. Conscientious daily brushing and flossing, and regular professional cleanings at the dental office are all you need to make sure your restoration lasts for years to come

COMPLETE DENTURES

A complete denture is a removable appliance used when all teeth within a jaw have been lost and need to be prosthetically replaced, hence it is an exclusively tissue-supported prosthesis.

Full dentures aid chewing, improve speech, and help to keep the mouth and surrounding facial area in correct alignment.

The latest advancement in Complete dentures is Overdenture or Implant supported Dentures.

If the Quality and quantity of your available bone is sufficient , then 2,4 or 6 implants can be placed in each jaw, and a fixed overdenture can be fabricated which is very stable and easy to clean.

PARTIAL DENTURES

For some people, partial or removable dentures are the most suitable option available for replacing absent teeth. Partial dentures, which are kept in place with metal or tooth-colored clasps, aid chewing, prevent sagging of the cheeks and lips, and improve speech. Modern advances have made it almost impossible for the average person to differentiate between dentures and natural teeth

The main advantage of partial dentures is that single to multiple missing teeth in the mouth can be replaced at a very affordable prices.