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Dental Crowns and Bridges

Despite being the hardest substance in the human body – even stronger than bone – the white enamel that covers your teeth is surprisingly susceptible to infection, decay, and damage. Enamel protects our teeth and allows us to chew, bite, and speak, but it can be damaged and compromise your tooth function and structure.

While most of our tissues can heal and repair themselves, our enamel can’t. A broken or missing tooth can only be treated and restored by a skilled dentist using dental crowns, fillings, and bridges.

Protecting your teeth is a vital part of preventive and comprehensive dentistry. Weakened or damaged teeth benefit from immediate treatment and restoration to keep your smile healthy and strong.

Two of the most popular dental restorations we offer at Ross Allen, DDS include dental crowns and bridges.

What Is a Dental Crown?

A dental crown is a natural-looking dental restoration that “caps” your whole tooth, down to the gumline. Dental crowns completely cover a damaged tooth to restore its natural shape, size, and function and absorb the force from chewing.

Reasons we might recommend a dental crown include:

Protecting a cavity that is too large for a filling
Protecting a tooth that is cracked, chipped, decayed, broken, or otherwise weakened
Restoring a tooth whose enamel is severely worn down
Restoring a tooth after a root canal
Covering a deeply stained or misshapen tooth and enhance your smile
Improving your smile
Supporting a dental bridge

Dental crowns are standard in restorative dentistry for restoring a tooth's size and shape, improving the tooth’s health and strength, and restoring your confidence and beautiful smile.

The Dental Crown Process

Dental crowns are a virtually painless and reliable process.

Dr. Ross Allen performs dental treatments with a gentle and compassionate approach. Patients who have dental anxiety may benefit from sedation dentistry like nitrous oxide to keep their entire dental visit pleasant and stress-free.

Dr. Allen starts by administering a local anesthetic to numb the area; patients may feel a slight pressure but no discomfort. Your Oklahoma City dentist will remove any infection, decay, or damaged tissue before sterilizing the area of bacteria.

We then make a digital 3-D impression of your tooth to accurately and precisely fabricate a dental crown. We protect your tooth by placing a temporary dental crown while waiting for the permanent crown from our local lab.

When the final restoration is ready, Dr. Allen will permanently adhere the dental crown to the tooth and adjust it as needed to ensure a comfortable and perfect fit.

What Is a Dental Bridge?

Are you missing one or multiple teeth? If so, Dr. Ross Allen can “bridge” the gaps in your smile by using dental bridges. Dental bridges are a common dental procedure to restore missing teeth by using a pontic (false tooth) held in place by dental crowns on either side of the space.

Reasons we might recommend a dental bridge include:

Restoring one or several missing teeth and oral health
Restoring your ability to eat and chew
Restoring your ability to speak clearly and concisely
Maintaining the contours and shape of your face
Realigning your bite to distribute force as you eat
Stopping neighboring teeth from shifting towards the gap
Improving your smile

Teeth that are missing and not restored can affect your appearance, often adding years and making you appear older.

Every tooth has an important role and function, which means losing one tooth can impact your oral health and remaining teeth.

The Dental Bridge Process

The process for dental crowns and bridges is somewhat similar.

Dr. Allen begins the procedure by preparing the tooth to create a perfect fit without impacting neighboring teeth. Then your restorative dentist will clean the tooth and adhere a temporary dental crown to it. Bonding the permanent dental crown to your tooth is a pain-free process that keeps your mouth even, symmetrical, and beautiful.

Call Us Today to Schedule a Dental Appointment

Our friendly and compassionate dentist can recommend the best option for your oral health. We always welcome new patients and look forward to helping you achieve your best smile.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why would someone need a crown?

There are many possible reasons for this change in your smile. These reasons can include bruxism (teeth grinding), general decay, cracked fillings, root canals, and many others. If your tooth is beyond repair with a filling material, we may recommend that the best viable option to save the tooth is a full crown. The reasons for this type of restoration in a badly damaged tooth are durability, cosmetic appearance, and overall support of the chewing function.

What is a dental bridge?

A dental bridge is a false tooth or teeth, known as a pontic, which is fused between two porcelain crowns to fill in the area left by a missing tooth or teeth. The two crowns holding it in place that are attached onto your teeth on each side of the false tooth. This is known as a fixed bridge. This procedure is used to replace one or more missing teeth. Fixed bridges cannot be taken out of your mouth as you might do with removable partial dentures.

Bridges can reduce your risk of gum disease, help correct some bite issues and even improve your speech. Bridges require your commitment to serious oral hygiene, but will last as many years.

Couldn't I just have my tooth removed instead of having a root canal?

You could, but then adjoining teeth may shift and interfere with biting and chewing if you remove the tooth and fail to replace it. You may also consider placing an implant or fill in a missing space with a "dummy tooth" as part of a fixed or removable bridge. A fixed bridge may require removing adjacent, healthy tooth structure, and may be expensive and require even more dental treatment. If you can save your own tooth with any degree of long term predictability, then that would always be the first choice.

Meet Our Doctor:

Dr. Ross Allen DDS
Dentist

I'm Dr. Ross Allen. Thank you for taking the time to visit our website. I'd like to tell you a little about myself and our staff. I grew up in Jenks, Oklahoma. I graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a degree in chemical engineering before dental school. I attended the University of Oklahoma for dental school, as well.

In our practice, we focus on providing quality dental care for the entire family. I believe in providing different treatment options based on patients' needs and desires. I am a member of the Oklahoma ...