Dental Crowns, Bridges & Porcelain Veneers

The Crown

Also called a cap, the crown is an artificial tooth that looks and works just like a natural tooth. It can restore the shape, appearance and function of any tooth that is still anchored to your jaw. The crown not only restores your tooth, but also protects it from further damage.

After first giving you a local anesthetic, Dr. Zofia will file down the offending tooth to make a proper base to receive the crown. An impression is made of the reshaped tooth and the two adjacent teeth, and then the crown is custom made based on the impression to fit perfectly in between your good teeth.

It can be fashioned from various types of material such as ceramic, porcelain or gold, depending on the need and your preferences. The crown itself is hollow and is then placed over the prepared tooth and cemented permanently into place. The same can be done with implants, which is an artificial root placed in your jaw, if there is no tooth to use as an anchor. The technician can perform in-office custom staining to match the new crown to look like other teeth, not like a fake one.

The Bridge

If you are completely missing one or more teeth, a bridge can be made to span the open area between two teeth. The bridge works similarly to the crown. Just picture two crowns on each side of the missing teeth with a bridge of an artificial tooth or teeth, attached between. The same procedure is done to reshape the teeth on either side of the open space. After the impression is made, a custom bridge is crafted and securely cemented in place. As with the crowns, the bridge can be custom matched to look just like a natural tooth.

Porcelain Veneers

Dental veneers are thin custom-made tooth coverings made of natural tooth-coloured materials. Applied to the visible front teeth, we can change your tooth colour, shape, size or even length. Dental veneers are more than just cosmetic, they also help protect weakened or damaged teeth and provide a barrier against tooth decay.

As with crowns, some tooth material is carefully removed before the veneer can be applied. After the tooth material is removed, an impression is made of the tooth, which will be used to construct the veneer for a perfect fit. The veneer is then attached permanently with special cement that is activated by light for faster setting.

Porcelain & Composite

There are two basic types of veneers; one is made from porcelain and others from composite resin materials. Both have different qualities that, depending on the particular teeth and their condition, are more appropriate. Dr. Zofia will advise you on the best choice of materials.

The porcelain variety has light-reflecting qualities that better imitate the look of natural teeth. Additionally, they are more stain resistant than the resin type. The porcelain veneers have the advantage of being thinner than resin laminates. This means less tooth surface has to be removed prior to placement.