Cosmetic Dentistry Orange County | Huefner Sensational Smiles Blog

Dental crowns and bridges are extremely useful tools to restore badly damaged teeth. Crowns correct the entire surface of the tooth. Dental bridge placement is used as an alternative to a dental implant to replace missing teeth. A dental bridge is a permanent tooth replacement attached to the teeth adjacent to the missing tooth or teeth. Best of all a dental bridge fixed and relatively permanent and is not able to be removed (taken in or out of the mouth) by the patient.

Crowns and Onlays
Dental crown and onlay placement generally is accomplished in two office visits. On the first visit, Dr. Huefner will remove the part of your tooth that is decayed or cracked, and any other old filling in place. Also, crowns also done on teeth badly broken down or that have already had a root canal. Onlays are much more conservative, requiring less drilling of the teeth and are utilized in situations where the tooth is less damaged and not require a full crown. The actual tooth surface will be prepared for the crown or onlay. A mold will be made of the tooth; this mold will then be used to create a template for the crown or onlay. A temporary crown or onlay will be worn until you visit Dr. Huefner a second time. At the second visit, the permanent crown or onlay will be placed over the tooth and fastened with a super-strong bonding substance.

Bridges
Dental bridges, on the other hand, fill in the gaps that are left by missing teeth. Dental bridges are replacement teeth attached to crowns placed on each side of the missing tooth. Permanent dental bridges are often necessary because leaving a space or gap where a tooth is missing causes a variety of dental problems, including gum disease and teeth shifting out of place in your mouth. Also a missing tooth is very unattractive. A bridge prevents these issues from occurring. Sometimes patients utilize removable bridges or partial dentures, but permanent dental bridges are much preferred because they are not removable and cannot be taken in and out of the mouth by the patient…they are like your own teeth!

If you are in need of a cosmetic dentistry procedure, please call (949) 495-6322 today to schedule an appointment with Dr. Norman Huefner at Sensational Smiles.