Crowns, Veneers & Bridges

Crowns

If you desire a natural, beautiful looking smile without compromising health or strength, you desire Captek crowns or bridges.  Captek offers a natural appearance while offering special internal support that is tough and durable.  A benefit of using Captek is the elimination of unsightly dark lines that are very common in traditional crowns.  Researchers have proven that Captek is the only material to reduce harmful bacteria; testing showed a 71% reduction in plaque and bacteria around the gums when a Captek crown or bridge is in place. 

The traditional treatment plan for a patient receiving a crown involves:

  1. Anesthetize the tooth to remove the decay in or around it.
  2. Re-sculpt the tooth to provide an ideal fit for the crown.
  3. Make an impression of your teeth in order to create a custom-made crown (usually takes two to three weeks).
  4. Make a temporary crown out of acrylic resin and fitting it onto the tooth during the interim period when the permanent custom-made crown is being created.
  5. Place the finished crown (when received from the lab) by removing the temporary crown and fitting the permanent one onto the tooth.
  6. After ensuring that the crown has the proper look and fit, the dentist cements it into place.

This process generally consists of a minimum of 2 visits over a three week period.


Once the procedure is completed, proper dental hygiene, including daily brushing and flossing, is required to maintain healthy, bacteria-free teeth, gums and crowns. This helps in the prevention of gum disease. Given proper care, your crown can last a lifetime.

Veneers

Veneers are a great alternative to other dental procedures to improve the appearance of your smile. Veneers are thin, semi-translucent “shells” typically attached to your front teeth. They are customized from porcelain material and bonded to your teeth.

Veneers are commonly used to correct:

  • Spaces between the teeth
  • Broken or chipped teeth
  • Unsightly, stained or discolored teeth
  • Permanently stained or discolored teeth
  • Crooked or misshapen teeth

Veneers are a great aesthetic solution to your smile that may even help you avoid orthodontic treatment. Subtle changes to your smile, such as resurfacing the teeth to make them appear straighter, can be achieved with veneers. In most cases, veneer application is completed in only two office visits.

Please contact our office if you have any further questions about veneers.

Inlays & Onlays

Inlays and onlays are a great alternative to traditional metal fillings. Inlays and onlays are indirect restorations, suitable for treating mild to moderate decay, and can be used to restore a cracked or fractured tooth if the damage is not extensive enough to require a crown.

Generally, inlays are small restorations that fit within the contours of the biting surface of a tooth, while onlays cover a portion or the entire chewing surface.

Inlays and onlays can be made from porcelain, gold or composite resin, but porcelain yields the most natural-looking result. Once fabricated, they are securely bonded to the tooth.

The advantages of inlays and onlays include:

  • Being more aesthetically pleasing since they can be fabricated from tooth-colored materials. Unlike traditional metal fillings, the inlays and onlays are virtually invisible.
  • Removing less of the tooth structure than crowns to achieve optimal results.
  • Not causing excessive wear and tear to opposing tooth structures.
  • Preventing the need for more significant treatment in the future.

The process for placing inlays and onlays generally requires one to two office visits. Initially, once the decay is removed, your dentist will take an impression of the tooth. A temporary restoration is placed until the custom-made inlay or onlay is manufactured in a laboratory. Frequently, a Cerec restoration can be prepared and placed in one appointment.

Following a proper oral hygiene regimen daily ensures the success and longevity of your new restoration. Ask how inlays and onlays can help improve your smile today!

Bridges

A bridge is a fixed dental appliance that replaces missing teeth and is connected to natural teeth at each end.

The treatment plan for a bridge usually requires two trips to your dentist. Specifically, it involves:

  • Numbing the surrounding teeth with a local anesthetic and cleaning any plaque or decay.
  • Shaping the teeth so that the bridge can be fitted.
  • Making a mold or impression of the teeth in order to create a customized laboratory fabricated bridge (this generally takes 1-2 weeks).
  • Fitting the patient with a temporary bridge until the permanent bridge is completed by the laboratory.
  • Removing the temporary bridge, adjusting the final bridge for proper bite and permanently bonding it into the mouth.