Before   

After  

^{Porcelain Crowns or Bridges}

When there is not enough tooth structure left for veneers or inlays or onlays, or the chewing demands in the mouth are too great for veneers, a stronger, more extensive restoration is needed. Typically the best alternative is porcelain crowns. Porcelain crowns are placed on a fully prepared tooth. They are the most life-like of full crown type restorations. The technique initially consists of preparing the teeth. Next, an impression is taken and then sent to the dental lab where the porcelain crown is fabricated. Finally, they are placed in the patient's mouth and permanently cemented onto the teeth.

^{Porcelain Fused to Metal Crowns or Bridges}

When biting pressure is too great for all-porcelain crowns or gaps from missing teeth must be filled in, metal alloy is placed under the porcelain for strength. This is the porcelain fused to metal crown technique. In these cases more tooth structure is removed to accommodate both metal and porcelain. Once an impression is taken, a metal coping is made on the prepared tooth. This is then covered with porcelain. Porcelain fused to metal crowns does not have the translucency of pure porcelain crowns. Therefore, aesthetics may be slightly compromised in some situations. However, a talented ceramist with experience in custom staining can usually overcome these limitations, thereby creating life like restorations. When teeth are loose due to periodontal bone loss, this technique is used. Here the crowns are splinted together by joining the metal substructure of the crowns so they are tied together like a small fence in the mouth.

A crown (or cap) is for a single tooth.

A bridge replaces missing teeth or splints together compromised teeth.

Advantages:

Teeth can be lightened to any shade
Takes less time than orthodontics
Crowns don’t stain
Long life
Offers greatest latitude in improving tooth form

Advanced
Cosmetic
Dentistry
  Suzanne Popp, D.D.S.
  1010 8th Street
  Coronado, CA 92118
  619.435.4444

Disadvantages:

Can fracture
Requires anesthesia
Altered tooth form
Is not permanent; may need to be replaced after five to fifteen years
More costly than contouring or bonding
Is irreversible
May trigger pulp irritation in rare instances
May include tooth sensitivity for a short time

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