Crowns, Bridges & Implants

If a tooth fractures, has a large cavity, or has had a root-canal, then a crown is needed. The crown covers the tooth and protects it from breaking again. Sometimes a tooth cannot be saved. This is when a bridge or implant is needed to restore your bite. A bridge replaces a missing tooth by crowning both adjacent teeth and putting a fake tooth in the middle. The bridge is made of porcelain and once it's cemented, you cannot tell you have a missing tooth. A bridge usually takes about two weeks to be completed. An implant is when a titanium screw is placed in your jaw and then a porcelain crown is placed on top of the implant. It usually takes about four months for the implant to heal before placing a crown on it. During that time, you will have a retainer made with a fake tooth on it to cover the healing implant. The advantage of the implant is that you don't have to crown the adjacent teeth. The advantage of the bridge is that you get it in two weeks.