Crowns, Bridges & Veneers

Gum disease is a separate issue from veneers but with all dental restorations, it is advisable to make sure the foundations are healthy before improving the appearance. A crown is like a house, and our gums are like the foundation. If the gums are not healthy, the foundation is not stable and it will not be ideal to build the “house” (crown) on it. Hence, it is crucial to ensure that all active gum disease is removed before having any cosmetic work done.

It is often said that veneers are minimally invasive and do not involve much preparation of the teeth. Whilst this is true, veneers are not totally reversible. In fact, it is considered permanent because the outer layer of your enamel needs to be removed to give way to the veneers, changing the original structure of your teeth. There may be an alternative to improving the appearance such as orthodontics and teeth whitening. It is important to be informed of all the treatment options available as well as the pros and cons of each option so that you can make an informed decision.

There are two basic types – gold or porcelain (ceramic). Gold is very hard wearing and good for patients who have a partially heavy bite or habit to grind their teeth. Unfortunately, the colour is not to everyone’s liking. Zirconia (ceramic) crowns are tooth coloured and also very hard-wearing. More than 99% of crowns are made from ceramic.

Here are two simple tips I give to all my patients with regards to caring for their dental bridge/crown: 1. Treat it as if it were your own natural tooth. Brush two times a day for at least two minutes each, floss at least once a day and visit a dentist two times a year. It is essential to continue with these oral care routine as a dental bridge/crown is equally susceptible to decay along the gum line. If you are unsure of how to floss effectively, ask your dentist so that he/she can guide you. 2. Try not to bite very hard things. For example: ice, nuts, crusty bread, dried fruit.

Crowns should last approximately 10 years if maintained well and not abused (i. e. biting very hard things). Therefore, it is important to take good care of them so that they can last as long as possible. Refer to this question for tips on how to care for your dental crowns and bridges. Like everything, they will be subject to some wear and tear and will require replacement eventually.

Providing a crown is generally a two visit procedure. The first visit will take approximately one hour to prepare the tooth and make an impression. During preparation of the tooth, you will be given some local anaesthesia to numb your tooth and gum tissue around it. The natural tooth is then trimmed away to allow sufficient space for the dental crown. Next, a dental impression is taken either with a hand-held scanner or with an impression tray. The dental impression is then sent to the dental laboratory to fabricate the definitive (final) crown.

Hi Gui Fang, The treatment options available depends on the size of your gap. A small gap can be closed using braces or white (composite) fillings. A medium gap can be closed with braces, white fillings or crowns. A large gap (the size of a tooth) can be closed with braces and perhaps an additional tooth in the form of a bridge or an implant. To give you some background, a space or gap between two teeth is a diastema.

Crowns, bridges, and veneers are different types of prosthetic solutions. Crowns cover the whole tooth to strengthen and improve the appearance (colour and shape), bridges replace missing teeth and often consist of several crowns linked together attached to the teeth either side of the gap. Veneers cover only the front of the tooth to improve the appearance and occasionally strength. All of them are made of porcelain and are provided for different reasons.