Dentistry is the known evaluation, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases, disorders and conditions of the soft and hard tissues of the jaw (mandible), the oral cavity, maxillofacial area and the adjacent.
An Interview with Dr. Ian M. Smith on Dental Crowns and Tooth Bridges
Dr. Ian M. Smith is a dentist who has answered some of the common questions Bizymoms visitors have about Dental Crowns and Tooth Bridges.
Q. What are dental crowns and tooth bridges?
A. Crowns are permanent coverings bonded or cemented to teeth to cover, rebuild and protect badly broken down or extensively filled teeth. They may be placed for esthetics or to obtain an ideal bite relationship.
Large fillings weaken teeth and create internal wedging forces that may fracture a tooth. Silver amalgams in particular may lead to cracks. A "root canal" tooth is more prone to fracture as it has been hollowed out and has become brittle. A crown encompasses the remaining tooth structure and distributes the biting force 360 degrees around the tooth.
Bridges involve crowns on multiple teeth with pontics ( false teeth ) attached to the crowns to permanently replace missing teeth. They are not removable.
Q. Why do crowns fall?
A. The most common failure of crowns is due to decay around the place the crown is fitted to the tooth. Other failures may be due to fracture if the patient bites on something very hard, or grinds their teeth or has a blow to the mouth.
Q. How are crowns and bridges made?
A. Proper crowns are fabricated of noble metals (gold, platinum, palladium ) or ceramics (porcelain ) or a combination of both. They may be cast, pressed or milled by computer assisted machinery.
Q. How long do crowns and bridges last?
A. With proper care crowns can last 20 to 30 years.
Q. Is the procedure painful?
A. Crowns are no more painful and often easier than most fillings. You are anesthetized for the procedure and it should be uneventful
Q. How do I take care of my dental crowns and bridges?
A. The crown itself will never decay, but the patient must be diligent in maintaining the "margins" (where the crown is fitted to the tooth).
Floss MUST BE USED properly to wrap around the crown and clean down into the gums. The front and inside of the crown must be cleaned with the bristles of a special tooth brush called a sulca brush and sometimes a proxabrush is useful to maintain posterior teeth if they have a concave shape between the teeth.
I advise patients that I love placing crowns and would be happy to replace them every few years, but that their pocket book would not appreciate it, so they must take constant care and diligence. Recession of the gums or esthetic changes of other teeth may become a concern for replacement.
Q. Are the non-metal crowns as strong as metal crowns?
A. Although metal does not fracture, the new ceramics are very durable and stronger than natural teeth. Esthetics or personal preference is the main choice between the two as there is now very little cost difference with the rising gold prices. Be very wary of bargain crowns as some foreign labs may still use non precious metals and poor ceramics.
I have seen many "DENTAL VACATION" crowns that are a nightmare.
Q. How to contact Dr. Ian M Smith if we have further questions?
A. I am available at APPLE DENTAL CENTER 250-762-6374 or e-mail at appledental@telus.net Our web site is www.appledentalcentre.com
