Ceramic Crowns & Bridges

A dental crown is a tooth-shaped cap that completely covers damaged, decayed, weak, or heavily restored tooth, and can also be placed over a dental implant. Crowns help restore tooth function and appearance while providing protection for the underlying tooth. Crowns are recommended when a tooth is severely decayed, cracked, or broken; after root canal treatment for extra strength; for cosmetic improvement of color, shape, or alignment; or to cover dental implants or anchor a dental bridge. A fixed partial denture (FPD), also called a dental bridge, is a fixed prosthesis used to replace one or more missing teeth by permanently attaching an artificial tooth (pontic) to adjacent natural teeth or dental implants (abutments). An FPD has three main parts: pontic (the artificial tooth replacing the missing natural tooth), retainers (crowns placed on abutment teeth to hold the denture), and connectors (elements joining the pontic and retainers). Crowns can be made from various materials including metal (gold, palladium, nickel, chromium) which is very strong and best for molars; porcelain which is highly aesthetic and suited for front teeth; porcelain-fused-to-metal (PFM) combining strength and appearance; zirconia which is metal-free, durable, and highly aesthetic; and resin which is more affordable but less durable. The procedure involves tooth preparation with shaping under local anesthesia, impression/scanning for precise fit using digital CAD/CAM technology, temporary crown placement until permanent crown is ready, and permanent crown bonding in a subsequent visit or made and fitted in a single visit with digital technology. FPDs restore chewing efficiency, maintain facial esthetics and speech, prevent tooth drifting, and preserve occlusal alignment. With proper care, dental crowns generally last 5-15 years.