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. Paresh Shah on Dental Crowns and Tooth Bridges
Dr. Paresh Shah 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. A crown is essentially a restoration that covers the entire tooth to provide reinforcement due to a large fracture or cavity. After a tooth has lost over half it’s structure due to a fracture or cavity, it is more compromised and a filling is typically not as strong. At that point, a crown made out of metal, metal/ceramic or only ceramic is the good long-term option.
Q. Why do crowns fail?
A. Crowns typically fail if there is a cavity on the underlying tooth structure. A crown is essentially another type of filling and has to sit over top your remaining tooth. It is important for the patient to keep this in mind and make sure they still maintain and keep all teeth clean, including those with crowns. Ceramic crowns can also break with heavy forces so care has to be taken to avoid eating hard foods, candies, ice and trying to open things with your teeth.
Q. How are crowns and bridges made?
A. Traditionally, a tooth will be prepared to receive a crown/bridge and then an impression or mould of the tooth is taken. Basically the preparation has to be sufficient to allow the crown to be placed over the entire tooth so as to fit within the confines of the adjacent teeth and the patient’s bite. The impression is then sent to a dental lab where skilled technicians will make the crowns out of metal or ceramic very similar to how custom jewelry is made.
With our current technology, we now are able to offer all-ceramic, highly esthetic crowns in one day. We have a cad/cam machine (computer aided design and milling), which allows us to make a digital scan your prepared tooth and design and mill a crown in our office while you wait. They are highly esthetic, strong and very convenient.
Q. How long do crowns and bridges last?
A. If you look at the dental literature most studies show about 7 years. However, I have many patients in my practice who have crowns in place for over 10 years or longer. It all depends on each individual and how they look after them, how well they are prepared, and what their functional patterns are.
Q. Is the procedure painful?
A. Not at all! Most crowns, like fillings are done with some basic local anesthetic, which makes the procedure smooth and comfortable.
Q. How do I take care of my dental crowns and bridges?
A. The same way you should take care of every tooth in your mouth. Good hygiene practices of brushing and flossing. Regular hygiene maintenance involving professional cleaning is also essential to help clean areas that you typically cannot reach and also allows us to detect problems before they arise. With bridges, there are also special floss aids that help reach the difficult areas.
Q. Are the non-metal crowns as strong as metal crowns?
A. They are very strong now. However, like anything ceramic, there is still a possibility of breaking if the forces are very high.
Q. How to contact Dr. Shah if we have further questions?
A. Via email at info@westwoodental.com or visit our website at www.drpshah.com
