Dental Crowns & Bridges in Eagan, MN
It’s not easy to live day to day with damaged teeth. Decayed, broken, or missing teeth take a toll on your comfort, confidence, and ability to enjoy life fully.
Dental crowns and bridges are restorations that Dr. TuAnh Le, DDS uses to strengthen and protect broken teeth and replace missing teeth. And because we use CEREC same-visit dental crowns and bridges, we can design, fabricate, and place the restoration on your tooth all in a single appointment.
What Do Dental Crowns Do?
Almost everyone has heard of dental crowns or has at least one in their mouth. We typically recommend a crown if a tooth is too damaged to be repaired with a dental filling.
Dental crowns are tooth-shaped porcelain or ceramic material your dentist customizes to cover the entire structure of a broken tooth. Once the crown is cemented in place, it absorbs chewing forces instead of the tooth, which remains protected underneath.
What Problems Can Dental Crowns & Bridges Fix?
Dental crowns are very versatile because they can be made from a variety of materials and are used in numerous ways:
- Protect a decayed, broken, or cracked teeth
- Strengthen a tooth after a root canal
- Fix a poorly proportioned tooth
- Restore function to a dental implant
- Anchor a dental bridge in place
The materials used for dental crowns include porcelain, porcelain-fused-to-metal, and gold. Porcelain crowns mimic tooth enamel, making them perfect for teeth that show when you smile. Porcelain-fused-to-metal (PFM) and gold crowns are strong and durable and used on teeth like molars that absorb a lot of chewing force.
How Do Dental Bridges Work?
A dental bridge is a prosthetic device that we recommend to replace missing teeth in Eagan, MN. For support, bridges rely on healthy teeth on either side of the gap in your smile.
If Dr. Le is replacing a single missing tooth, she would design your dental bridge as a three-piece unit. It includes an artificial tooth called a pontic that sits in the space left by the missing tooth. Dental crowns on either side of the pontic are attached to adjacent teeth for support.
What's the Best Way to Care for My Dental Crown or Bridge?
Dental crowns and bridges are not permanent and will eventually need to be replaced. But you can extend the lifespan of both with proper care.
Even though your dental restorations won’t get cavities, the teeth beneath them can. You can also develop gum disease around a tooth that may make it necessary to remove and possibly replace your dental crown.
Your goal is to take diligent care of your teeth by brushing twice a day, flossing once. Visit Wood Park Dental at least twice a year for exams and teeth cleanings that help us stay a step ahead of cavities and gum disease. Dr. Le will also check the condition of your dental work to make sure it’s intact and secure.
Contact Wood Park Dental in Eagan, MN
Dr. Le is an experienced dentist in Eagan, MN who helps her patients achieve and maintain healthy, beautiful smiles. If you have broken or missing teeth, we have the solution you need. Please contact Wood Park Dental at (952) 600-2880 so we can help schedule a consultation for crowns or bridges.
