Dental Crowns and Bridges in Chagrin Falls

Missing and damaged teeth can cause pain, emotional distress, and even malnutrition. Fortunately, Chagrin Family Dental Care has a number of options available to help repair and replace teeth that are no longer functioning as they should. Two of our most popular and cost-effective options for repairing and replacing damaged teeth are crowns and bridges.

Modern Dental Crowns

Sometimes, properly repairing a tooth requires more than a simple filling. Teeth that are fractured, cracked, or damaged by a very large cavity or decayed area may require a crown – a permanent cap that covers the tooth to strengthen and protect it.

At Chagrin Family Dental Care, we use the latest, most modern dental materials available to give you results that are both strong and aesthetically attractive including porcelain and zirconia. These materials, which produce crowns that are practically indistinguishable from a natural tooth, are actually stronger than some of the older materials used to fabricate crowns.

Placing a crown usually requires two visits. At your first visit, we’ll shape your tooth to prepare it for a crown and take images and impressions to send to the lab that will be creating your crown. Your second visit will take place when your crown is complete, and at this visit, we’ll cement the final restoration.

Dental Bridges in Chagrin Falls

Dr. Hivick understands how important it is to have a beautiful, complete smile. Whether we like it or not, we live in a culture where appearances matter greatly, and people will judge us based on the appearance of our smile. In addition to making chewing and speaking more difficult, missing teeth have a social stigma attached, and you may find that a missing tooth impacts your life more than you might ever have imagined.

Bridges are a permanent solution to the problem of missing teeth. A bridge is an appliance with one or more synthetic teeth that “bridge the gap” left by missing teeth. It is held in place by crowns that are fixed to either the adjacent healthy teeth or dental implants. These artificial teeth are carefully crafted from state-of-the-art materials to perfectly mimic the appearance of your own natural teeth so that once the bridge is placed, nobody (except your dentist!) will ever know the difference.

Caring for Crowns and Bridges

Once your crown or bridge has been placed, it becomes a permanent part of your mouth. While crowns and bridges won’t decay like natural teeth, they can still build up plaque and tartar, which can cause bad breath, affect your other teeth, and cause gum disease. It's also possible to develop a cavity where the porcelain of your restoration meets your natural tooth surface, so it’s important to care for them properly.  

Brush your teeth – including your crowns and bridges – as Dr. Hivick directs and floss daily. This will prevent plaque and tartar build-up. Continue to visit our office for regular check-ups and professional cleanings. This will also allow us to check the condition of your crown or bridge to make sure that it’s in great shape and fitting properly.

Crowns and bridges are designed to be durable and long-lasting under normal conditions. It is possible, however, for you to accidentally break a crown or a bridge (one common culprit in damaged dental work is pits or other hard substances in food). If your dental work becomes damaged, give our office a call immediately. We offer same-day emergency appointments when possible, and we are committed to seeing you in a timely manner to solve your problem and relieve your discomfort.

Call our Chagrin Falls dental office today to find out more about crowns and bridges or to schedule your regular check-up!