Crowns and Bridges

Ouch! You’ve broken a tooth or may have fractured it, have a cavity that’s just too big for a filling, or had a root canal. A dental crown could be a great way to restore the function and appearance of the tooth, protecting it from further damage.

Crowns may also be used as part of a smile makeover for cosmetic improvement to give teeth a uniform appearance. We can place as many individual crowns as necessary to achieve the look you desire. Dental crowns are made of gold, porcelain-fused-to-metal, or all porcelain. Gold and porcelain-fused crowns are durable and strong enough for back teeth. All porcelain crowns are used for natural-looking and aesthetic front tooth restorations.

The procedure is straightforward:

• Dr. Khorsandi will evaluate your situation, to determine if a crown is your best solution
• We anesthetize the area to be sure you are comfortable
• The tooth is reduced and shaped to hold the crown securely
• We take molds of your teeth and send them to a lab. The lab fabricates your crown to our exact specifications
• Meantime, we’ll place a temporary crown so that the tooth looks and feels natural
• At your next appointment, we remove the temporary and bond the final crown into place

A bridge replaces a missing tooth. Crowns go on the teeth on either side of the space, and the bridge connects them in the middle, just like a bridge on the highway, and holds an artificial tooth to fill the gap.

Apply the same home care to your crowns as you do your natural teeth. Brush and floss daily, and maintain regular dental check-ups. Since a crown-and-bridge restoration rests on your gums, you’ll need to pay a little more attention to keeping it clean. Don’t worry – we’ll show you how.

Zen Dental has placed hundreds of crowns, and our success rate is terrific. Depending on the condition of your tooth before the restoration, with experienced placement you can expect your crown to last a long time – a minimum of five years, and up to 20 years!