Crowns & Bridges

A smile can make or break your confidence. If you have one or multiple missing teeth, and you’re unhappy, consider dental bridges and crowns by Vijay Godi, DDS, at Prime Dental in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Dr. Godi understands the importance of not only the look, but also the health of your teeth. To learn more about bridges and crowns, call or request an appointment online.

What are dental bridges?

Dental bridges are prosthetic teeth that replace missing teeth. In other words, they bridge the gap between teeth. Fixed or removable, Dr. Godi can place one or multiple bridges at a time. 

They can remedy several issues that go along with missing teeth, such as:

• Inability to chew properly
• Trouble with speech and pronunciation
• Shifting of your remaining teeth
• Bad bites

Dr. Godi holds bridges in place by either cementing them to surrounding existing teeth, supporting them with crowns on either side, or using a combination of both methods.

There are three major types of dental bridges: traditional bridges, cantilever bridges, and Maryland bonded bridges.

Traditional bridges

Traditional bridges receive support from surrounding crowns. These crowns may cap existing teeth, or they may attach to dental implants.

Cantilever bridges

Cantilever bridges feature false teeth that are supported on one side of an empty space using one crown. 

Maryland bonded bridges

Bonded bridges are held in place with the help of porcelain or metal framework bonded to the back of supporting teeth.

What are dental crowns?

Dental crowns, also known as caps, cover damaged, misshapen, or discolored teeth. Dr. Godi designs individual crowns to match the natural look of your teeth, while beautifying your smile. 

Crowns are similar to veneers, which cover the front portion of your teeth, but they have more functions than veneers.

In addition to their cosmetic purposes, crowns can:

• Protect cracked teeth
• Protect teeth in danger of breaking
• Protect and strengthen weak teeth
• Protect teeth compromised by excessively large fillings
• Cover an implant

To secure a crown, Dr. Godi bonds it into place, from the gum line up.

What are dental crowns made from?

At Prime Dental, Dr. Godi offers dental crowns made from several materials, including porcelain, gold, porcelain fused to gold, and porcelain fused to zirconium.

Porcelain

Porcelain crowns are popular for their superior esthetics. To create a long-lasting, beautiful smile, the team can easily match porcelain crowns to the color, shape, and size of your natural teeth. 

Gold

Gold crowns are strong and durable. Because their color stands out, they work best in the rear molars. There, they can withstand the impact of heavy biting and chewing without revealing themselves.

Porcelain fused to gold

Porcelain fused to gold crowns are more durable than all-porcelain crowns and look more like natural teeth than all gold crowns. 

However, the gold portion of this type of crown sometimes shows as a dark line near the gums. Also, teeth opposite these crowns may experience extra wear-and-tear from the gold.

Porcelain fused to zirconium

Porcelain fused to zirconium crowns consist of layers of porcelain fused inside a thin zirconium shell. Zirconium is an extremely hard ceramic material that is biocompatible and easy to color match and shape.

Do you think crowns and bridges might be right for your smile? If so, set up a consultation with Dr. Godi by phone or online today.