Bridges |
These restorations, generally made of porcelain over a metal
framework, are used to replace missing teeth. Bridges are placed on the
neighboring teeth, so they span the site of the missing tooth, making
them a fabulous method by which to restore your bite and create a
pleasant smile.
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Implants |
Dental implants are becoming an important part of
dental practice. They are a conservative way to do many things that
couldn't be done otherwise. You may want to consider dental implants if:
- you have one or more teeth missing and
desire teeth that stay in your mouth like caps or crowns
- you have a denture or think your teeth are
hopeless; a screw retained denture can be made which is fixed into
place.
- you have a denture which does not stay in
place while you eat or speak; then implants can be placed so that
they snap into place.
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Restorative
Dentistry
Porcelain Fused Metal Crowns
When biting pressure is too great for porcelain jackets or gaps from
missing teeth must be filled in, metal alloy must be placed under the
porcelain for strength. This is the porcelain fused to metal crown
technique. More tooth structure is removed to accommodate both metal and
porcelain. Once an impression is taken, a metal coping is made on the
prepared tooth. This is then covered with porcelain. Porcelain fused to
metal crowns do not have the translucency of pure porcelain crowns.
Therefore, aesthetics may be slightly compromised in some situations.
However, a talented ceramist with experience in custom staining can
usually overcome these limitations, thereby creating life like
restorations. When teeth are loose due to periodontal bone loss, this
technique is used. Here the crowns are splinted together by joining the
metal substructure of the crowns so they are tied together like a small
fence in the mouth.
Porcelain Jacket Crowns
When there is not enough tooth structure left, or the chewing demands in
the mouth are too great for laminates, a stronger, more extensive
restoration is needed. Here we need porcelain jacket crowns. Porcelain
jackets are pure porcelain crowns placed on a fully prepared tooth. They
are the most life-like of all full crown type restorations. The
technique initially consists of preparing the teeth. Next, an impression
is taken and then sent to the dental lab where the porcelain jacket is
fabricated. Finally, they are placed in the patient's mouth and
permanently cemented onto the teeth. Many times these restorations can
be completed in one visit using a CEREC restoration.
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