There are many reasons why you might need or want a crown or a bridge. If you have a chipped tooth or have suffered with tooth decay in the past and this option is a fantastic confidence booster and a great way to improve your quality of life, especially if you are self-conscious about your smile.
Here at Ringley Park we are keen to demystify the process and put you at ease should you require this procedure.
A crown, quite simply, is an artificial restoration that fits over a tooth that has been chipped, broken or weakened by tooth decay or a filling. It allows your dentist to reconstruct the tooth and, in the process, make it stronger and give it the appearance of a natural tooth. Traditionally, crowns are made from porcelain or ceramic but these days strong, aesthetic more modern materials, such as zirconia are often preferred.
A dental bridge has a similar function to a crown but is used to replace multiple teeth, quite literally, bridging the gap left by missing teeth.
When having a conventional crown, patients should expect to have a traditional impression taken. Impressions can be a little uncomfortable, but rest assured the dentists at Ringley Park are highly experienced and will make sure that your impression is taken as swiftly and as comfortably as possible. However, if you are particularly anxious about having a conventional impression, we are also able to perform a digital scan.
In either case, your dentist will also measure the shade of the surrounding teeth. This is a fast, non-invasive procedure and the shade information allows our dental technician to create a restoration which is an excellent aesthetic match, giving you a restored and natural looking smile.
Once the impression is taken it is sent along with the shade to our local dental laboratory where your crown or bridge will be made, a process that normally takes around two weeks. In the meantime, we will fit you with a temporary, giving you a picture-perfect smile while you wait for your final restoration.
Crown and bridge fittings normally only take two visits, so it’s a quick, safe and easy process, during which you will be handled with the highest level of care by Ringley Park staff.
If you would like to know more about single visit restorations and digital scans for crowns and bridges, read our blog at or visit ringleypark.org/treatments/general-dentistry/cerec-restorations/
To find out more about improving your smile with a crown or bridge, click here or email us: info@ringleypark.org or for more information call 01737 240123.
