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Dental Crowns In Los Altos, CA
When you hear the word crown, you might instantly think about something that royalty might wear on their heads. While this is most certainly one type of crown, there is another type that is used in dentistry. At Peninsula Center of Cosmetic Dentistry, we use dental crowns to restore and protect teeth affected by many different types of physical damage.
Not only do crowns help with structure and health, but they can also be used to anchor a dental bridge, protect teeth that have undergone a root canal, and provide general protection for your smile.
One of the great advantages of this restoration is that it can help you to keep your natural teeth, preventing all of the issues that typically come with tooth loss. If you have suffered tooth damage, a traumatic injury, or have simply suffered from decay brought on by old age, we can assess the severity of your damage and determine your need for a crown.
Any dental trauma should be examined. Although you might not be able to see much when you look in the mirror, and might not even feel much pain, this does not mean there isn’t an issue.
While some trauma may result in no damage, it is also possible for a tooth to crack. In these cases, a crown is generally recommended. Without it, teeth affected by these types of injuries are at risk for severe harm. They can break further, resulting in the need for an extraction. Cracked and broken teeth can also develop infections.
There are a few different types of crowns. Our recommendation will depend on a few different things, including the location of the tooth and your personal preference.
Crowns made of metal offer the greatest strength and are often used on teeth in the back of the mouth.
Ceramic crowns are generally the most popular choice. Though not as strong as metal, they are the most natural in appearance. This makes them perfect for treating front teeth. Not only do they restore and protect your oral health, but ceramic crowns improve the overall appearance of your smile.
CEREC® Porcelain Crowns & Onlays in Los Altos, CA
Our revolutionary CERECCAD/CAM technology allows our cosmetic dentists to create beautiful new crowns and onlays in just a single visit! No more temporary crowns or messy impressions! These bonded restorations contain no metal and provide ultimate strength, beauty, and longevity for your back teeth. Custom-made by the doctor to precisely fit individual teeth, crowns and onlays can be used to replace old porcelain or gold crowns, unsightly metal fillings, and any back tooth in need of repair. They can last for decades, and provide structure and safety for your teeth.
How Is CEREC® Different?
In a traditional crown procedure, the dentist takes a mold, grinds down the tooth, and prepares it for a crown. The patient returns home with a cap and the mold is sent to a lab, where a technician carves a crown. When the patient returns, the temporary tooth is removed and the crown seated. It’s a double dose of trips to the dentist! With a Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics, or a CEREC® crown procedure, a 3D digital photograph of the tooth is taken, and we use a state-of-the-art computer program to draw the shape of the crown. Your new crown is carved out of a block of porcelain right here in our office! With the help of a three-dimensional, diamond-tipped miller, we seat the crown over a period of just ninety minutes! A CEREC® crown helps reduce pain and sensitivity as well as bacterial leakage that commonly occurs with traditional, temporary caps.
Getting a crown is not a painful process. The atmosphere at our practice is geared toward patient comfort and direct communication, and our team keeps you informed of your crown procedure every step of the way. While we do need to remove enamel from the damaged tooth to properly place your crown, this is done after providing you with a local anesthetic. This prevents you from feeling any discomfort during the process.
Crowns are commonly used to treat cracked or broken teeth, but this is not their only use. Crowns can treat teeth affected by decay when a regular filling is not enough. A crown can protect a tooth following a root canal, or even be used for cosmetic reasons.
Along with improving the appearance of cracked or broken teeth, they can improve the look of teeth that are small or misshapen. They can even anchor a dental bridge into place, which provides additional cosmetic and aesthetic consistency to your smile and boosts your confidence.
What Is
A Dental Bridge?
A dental bridge, also known as a tooth bridge, is a dental restoration that is affixed to the jaw using your own teeth, as well as anchoring dental crowns. It works like the name suggests; as a bridge to reconnect gaps in your smile!
Bridges replace one or more missing teeth and provide security and safety for the wearer. A fixed dental bridge is made up of two dental crowns on each end with one or more false teeth in between. The crowns will be cemented (fixed) to the two healthy anchor teeth on each side, thus bridging the gap left by missing teeth,
At Peninsula Center of Cosmetic Dentistry, we specialize in placing dental bridges and we use high-quality materials to help our restorations, and your smile, last a long time!
Benefits Of
Dental Bridges
Restore a natural look to your smile
Regain chewing ability
Provide Structure
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Regain enunciation and speaking ability
Improve confidence
Rebuild your social life
These and many other benefits await you at Peninsula Center of Cosmetic Dentistry! Our focus on cosmetic dentistry makes us the perfect choice for any patient looking to fill those gaps in their smile.
Our office provides a comfortable, judgment-free setting where you can share your smile issues openly and without hesitation. Our team is ready to make your fixed bridge procedure an easy and simple one.
Why is a Tooth Bridge Needed?
You might be wondering why a fixed bridge helpful. How can it benefit your overall health? The answer is simple: a fixed bridge takes advantage of the natural tooth structure the patient has left to enhance and support what’s already there. This is why we often recommend dental bridges; it’s a compliment! It means your mouth already has the structure it needs to support its own healing! All we need to do is give it a nudge with a dental bridge.
Without the extra support afforded by bridges, your jaw could lose bone mass, your remaining teeth could shift around, and you could be at risk of a myriad of dental problems. Dental bridges are not always necessary, but if your specific case requires it, we will sit down with you to review all options.
Dental Bridge vs. Implants
Dental Bridges
Pros
- Cost-effective
- Don’t require bone grafting
- Quick dental process
Cons
- Places strain on surrounding teeth
- The two healthy anchhor teeth need to be ground down to allow for the caps
- Will eventually need replacing
- Do not address underlying structural issues, including bone loss
Dental Implants
Pros
- Do not impact surounding teeth
- Reduce long-term jaw and oral health problems
- Indistinguishable from natural teeth
- More chewing ability
- Last a lifetime with proper maintenance
Cons
- More expensive
- Might require bone grafting
- Multi-visit treatment and longer healing process
If you are missing three or more teeth in a row, you may be a candidate for hybrid of the two options above – an implant-supported bridge. We are happy to tell you all about implant bridges and explore if they are an appropriate solution for you.
Get Started
If you have suffered damage or dental trauma fixed bridges can help you restore affected teeth, protect remaining structure, an ensure a lifetime of great oral health! Contact us at Peninsula Center of Cosmetic Dentistry by calling (650) 948-5524 or using the form on this site for more information.
Achieve
The smile of your dreams!
Schedule a personal visit to Peninsula Center of Cosmetic Dentistry in Los Altos today
Achieve
The smile of your dreams!
Schedule a personal visit to Peninsula Center of Cosmetic Dentistry in Los Altos today
Peninsula
Center of Cosmetic Dentistry
- Monday - Thursday: 7am - 5pm
- Friday: 7am - 4pm
- Saturday - Sunday: Closed