CROWNS AND BRIDGES
Repairing Smiles with Crowns and Bridges
The best way to protect your health is to repair and replace teeth when necessary. Modern crowns and bridges last a long time and look natural.
A Broken Tooth Is at Risk for Decay and Tooth Loss
Crowns and Bridges in Troutdale, OR
Is your smile suffering from a damaged tooth that is painful? Maybe you’ve got a gap due to a missing tooth? Not only do these situations make it challenging for you to eat and enjoy your food, but it also affects how you feel about your smile.
At Troutdale Dental, we want our patients to feel confident about how they look, and we offer the restorative services you need to repair a smile affected by missing or broken teeth. To learn more about how we can restore both your smile and your confidence, contact your dentist in Troutdale at (503) 674-8767 to schedule an evaluation.
How Teeth Become Damaged
Your teeth are hard and durable. They are covered in enamel, which is the hardest substance in the body. Your teeth grind your food as the first step of digestion, and their job is primarily to help you eat. Teeth also fill out the facial shape and appearance, maintain bone levels in the jaw, and give us our most unique expression – our smiles, which help us to communicate with other people.
Sometimes, however, teeth become weakened because of decay, trauma, infection, or teeth grinding (bruxism), and the structure becomes compromised. Once the enamel breaks or deteriorates, protecting the remaining tooth or removing a tooth are both possible.
At our Troutdale, OR dental office, we commonly recommend dental crowns or bridges to repair or replace missing teeth. Both options will look natural and give you both comfortable chewing function and your smile back. We hope to help you maintain your natural healthy smile as long as possible, and tooth crowns and dental bridges are a good way to protect your oral health.
Dental Crowns to Repair Teeth
Dental crowns are versatile, and if you have decay, fractures, or worn-down teeth, a dental crown can give the tooth strength and its natural shape back. Patients who have had root canal therapy can also benefit from a dental crown to strengthen their tooth as the living tissue from the tooth has been removed and leaves the tooth brittle.
If your tooth needs a crown due to tooth decay, it is essential not to delay your treatment. Tooth decay can progress into the nerve of your tooth where it will result in an infection. If an infected tooth is left untreated, it could lead to tooth loss.
A tooth that is fractured is also compromised and could be allowing bacteria and tooth decay to reach the nerve of your tooth.
Teeth that wear due to teeth grinding can also present problems if you don’t have it treated. Tooth wear can not only cause sensitivity when you’re eating, but it could also result in painful problems for your jaw joint since your bite is misaligned.
Let your dentist in Troutdale help restore your health and your smile if you have a compromised tooth. Contact our dental office at (503) 674-8767 to schedule an evaluation.
Dental Bridges Replace a Missing Tooth
A missing tooth impacts your speech, what you can eat, and most certainly, your confidence. Beyond that, a missing tooth will also leave space for your remaining teeth to shift and tilt. This throws teeth out of alignment and makes occlusion (the bite) uneven and can expose sensitive roots.
While dental implants are considered the gold standard of teeth replacement, dental bridges provide a nonsurgical option for patients who have medical conditions that limit their alternatives.
A dental bridge consists of two dental crowns on healthy adjacent teeth to hold the artificial tooth, called a pontic, in place. Dental bridges are a single unit that is a fixed option, which means you cannot remove it. Cleaning around the bridge, supporting teeth, and the gum tissue will keep your mouth healthy and prolong the life of your dentistry.
Full Smile Solutions
If you have multiple teeth that need repair, it may be time to consider a full smile rehabilitation. Our dentists are both highly skilled at treatment planning and helping patients through the process of restoring their smiles with one or multiple procedures.
The first place to start is to schedule an evaluation with your dentist in Troutdale, who will listen to your concerns and goals for your smile. Once Dr. Brinton or Dr. Hale understand what’s important to you, they can make the right treatment recommendations to help you achieve your goals. We’ll help you get your smile back on track!
The Process for Restoring Your Smile
Whether it’s a tooth crown or dental bridge that you need to fix your smile, the process is straightforward and relatively similar for both restorations.
Dr. Brinton or Dr. Hale will begin the process by preparing the tooth (or teeth), which entails removing decay and reshaping it. Next, an impression will give our trusted dental lab technician a guide to creating the custom tooth crown or dental bridge. Shade matching will ensure that it blends in perfectly with your teeth, and no one will ever know you had your smile repaired.
Our dentists will place a temporary crown on the tooth to protect it while the lab creates your porcelain crown. Once we receive the final crown, your dentist will fit it to your teeth and adjust your bite if needed.
The process for creating a custom tooth crown or bridge typically takes around two to three weeks.
Once your new restoration is placed, you’ll be able to enjoy eating and smiling just as you used to. You’ll also be able to brush, floss, and care for your new restoration with ease. With the proper home care and regular checkups with your Troutdale dentist, your dental crown can last up to seven years or possibly even longer.
Fitting Your Crown or Bridge into Your Budget
The cost of dentistry can be challenging to fit into your budget; however, your team at Troutdale Dental is here to work with you. We want you to get the dental treatment you need when you need it most without breaking the bank.
Our knowledgeable treatment coordinator is happy to research your dental insurance plan to determine if your benefits will help defray some of the cost of your treatment. We also work with third-party financing companies that allow you to make affordable monthly payments for your out-of-pocket expense if that is helpful to your budget. CareCredit even offers some plans that are interest-free for patients who qualify.
If you don’t have dental insurance, you might consider joining the Troutdale Dental Membership Club. For a low monthly subscription fee, our members receive savings on major treatment like tooth crowns and bridges, making it easier to fit the treatment into their budget. Not to mention that you’ll also receive complete coverage for most preventive services as a member. Call Troutdale Dental today for more details on our membership plan.
Missing Teeth Leave an Unsightly Gap in Your Smile
Meet Dr. Brian Hale
Growing up in the desert heat of Las Vegas, Nevada, Dr. Hale was looking for a change of climate and scenery. It’s not hard to understand why he and his wife, Alisha, fell in love…
Meet Dr. Clark Brinton
Dr. Brinton graduated from OHSU School of Dentistry in 2013 as the class valedictorian. During his third and fourth years, he was selected as one of two students to train under Drs. Stanley Malamed and…
Welcome to Troutdale Dental!
Each dental restoration serves a unique purpose. To determine which dental restoration will be right for you, we welcome you to get in touch to book an appointment with Dr. Clark Brinton or Dr. Brian Hale. Their expertise and good-natured chairside manner will make your dental appointment easy – even enjoyable!
Call Troutdale Dental today at (503) 674-8767 to schedule your dental appointment.