A dental crown is a tooth-shaped cap that is placed over a tooth. It made from a tough substance, like porcelain. A crown can keep your tooth from further decay, damage, cracks and deterioration by capping it.

According to the American Dental Association that a dental crown may be needed in order to:

  • Protect a weak tooth from breaking;
  • Restore a broken tooth or a tooth that has been worn down;
  • Cover and support a tooth with a large filling;
  • Keep a dental bridge in place;
  • Cover severely discolored teeth or a dental implant; or,
  • Make a cosmetic modification.

Materials for permanent dental crowns include stainless steel, metal (such as alloys that have a high content of platinum or gold, or base-metal alloys, like cobalt- chromium and nickel-chromium), ceramic, resin, porcelain or a mixture of any of these materials. Porcelain crowns, though less durable, are typically the most natural-looking option.

Dental bridges, on the other hand, are false teeth fused between a couple of porcelain crowns to fill in toothless areas. These are most beneficial to anyone with missing a tooth or several teeth. Dental bridges help lessen threats of gum disease and help improve speech.

A bridge, according to Great South Bay dentists of Babylon Dental Care, can be constructed from metal, all-porcelain, or a combination of metal and porcelain. You can either choose from a fixed bridge or a removable bridge. 

There are three types of Bridges, namely:

  1. Fixed Bridge. This is the most popular type of bridge. In this procedure, a filler tooth is attached to two crowns over existing teeth to hold it in place.
  2. “Maryland” Bridge. This type of bridge is meant to replace missing front teeth. A filler is attached to metal bands which are bonded to the abutment teeth; these metal bands match existing tooth color with a composite resin.
  3. Cantilever Bridge. This type of bridge is used when there are only teeth on one side of the span. A three-unit cantilever bridge has 2 crowns next to each other on the same side as the missing tooth. The filler tooth connects to the crowned teeth.