Crowns & Bridges

How do crowns and bridges repair damaged, decaying, or missing teeth?

Crowns and bridges are dental restorations designed to preserve your smile and oral health. Though often mentioned together, they aren’t the same thing:

Crowns 

A crown is a cap made of porcelain, ceramic, or metal amalgam bonded on top of a severely damaged or decaying permanent tooth. The crown restores your tooth’s shape and size, letting you bite and chew confidently. 

Bridges

A dental bridge is a restoration that “bridges” a gap in your smile where a tooth used to be. Dental bridges have a false tooth (pontic) and two crowns or a metal framework. The pontic fills the space in your smile, and the crowns or framework prevent it from moving out of position.

Who can benefit from crowns and bridges?

The Rainier Dental team uses crowns and bridges to:

• Strengthen weak teeth
• Restore worn-down and broken teeth
• Cover stained and discolored teeth
• Cover dental implants
• Complete root canal therapy
• Replace extracted permanent teeth

Rainier Dental partners with nearby dental labs to design and manufacture custom crowns and bridges that fit perfectly and blend in naturally with your smile. 

What does getting crowns or bridges involve?

Getting a crown or bridge at Rainier Dental takes two visits several weeks apart.

First crown or bridge visit

Your dentist completes an oral exam and takes digital X-rays to get a complete picture of your dental health. Then, they numb your mouth with a local anesthetic.

If you’re getting a crown, your dentist removes the decaying or damaged portion of your tooth enamel and takes digital impressions with an intraoral scanner.

If you’re getting a crown, your dentist removes a thin layer of enamel from the teeth on either side of the gap in your smile and takes digital impressions.

Your dentist sends your impressions to a dental lab that designs and manufactures a custom crown or bridge.

Second crown or bridge visit

A week or two later, when your custom restoration is ready, you return to Rainier Dental. Your dentist numbs your mouth with a local anesthetic, lines up the crown or bridge with your smile, and bonds it in place. They check your bite, polish your teeth, and provide care instructions.

Call the nearest Rainier Dental office today to schedule a crowns and bridges appointment or book your visit online.