Advantages of Crowns and Bridges
Even though they are both restorative dental procedures, crowns and bridges have their own distinct advantages. Crowns assist to restore the biting and chewing surface, strength, and form of a tooth that has been damaged. Crowns can also assist in restoring and holding in place cracked or damaged teeth, replacing large or worn out fillings, restoring dental implants, and protecting teeth after a root canal. As the main structure and root of the tooth is left intact, crowns provide a protective cover to reduce further decay, through a minimally invasive procedure. Doing this affords patients an aesthetic and functional appearance with little recovery time.
Aside from restoring the aesthetic appearance of one’s smile, bridges also aid in long term oral health. When a patient suffers from missing teeth, this can negatively affect their chewing and speaking abilities. Bridges help fill the vacant gaps, thereby reducing pain and difficulties when eating and communicating, as one’s sensitive gums are no longer in direct contact with outside matter.
A gap can cause surrounding teeth to gradually shift, which can cause problems in one’s bite. Yet, when a bridge is used to replace the missing teeth, the adjacent teeth are held firmly in place. Additionally, a bridge can also help reduce the risk of bone loss from the jaw, therefore, maintaining natural face contours and shape.