COSMETIC DENTAL RESTORATIONS IN RALEIGH, NC

When teeth become damaged, decayed or broken, it can weaken your teeth and impact the overall shape and appearance of your smile. Crowns seamlessly cover these teeth for a cohesive, natural look. These crowns don’t just look beautiful, though, they also provide support for your teeth and strengthen your smile.

Crowns are bonded onto an existing tooth with a specialized cement material. In effect, the crown replaces the outermost surface of your tooth, leaving the internal structure of your existing tooth intact. This requires the existing outer surface of your tooth to be trimmed down and properly shaped for the synthetic piece to fit perfectly on top of.

These crowns can be made of a variety of materials including metal, porcelain or both. Most patients prefer porcelain crowns because they mimic the color and translucency of natural teeth while remaining very strong.

Crowns or partial crowns, called onlays, are required when there is insufficient tooth strength remaining to hold a filling. Unlike fillings, which apply the restorative material directly into your mouth, a crown or onlay is fabricated away from your mouth. Instead, your crown or onlay is made especially for you in a lab, based on a detailed impression which allows an expert dental laboratory technician to examine all aspects of your bite and jaw movements. It is then sculpted just for you so that your bite and jaw movement functions perfectly once the crown or onlay is in place.

Bridges are used to replace multiple missing teeth, as well as to help maintain the shape and structure of your face. These cosmetic restoration appliances can also help to alleviate stress on your bite caused by the missing teeth.

A bridge replaces missing teeth with artificial ones, filling the gaps where one or more teeth may have been. These appliances can be made from gold, alloys, porcelain or a combination of two or more of these materials. Porcelain bridges are commonly preferred for the same reason that porcelain crowns are so popular. No matter what your bridges are made out of, they will be bonded onto surrounding teeth for support.

This support system is integral to the success of your treatment. The other teeth, gums and bone that attach your bridges to the rest of your teeth have to be healthy and strong to avoid any movement, looseness or damage to your bridges or natural teeth. As such, it’s very important to keep your natural teeth, gums and jaw healthy and strong with proper dental hygiene and regular visits to the dentist for checkups and cleanings. If your existing teeth do not work as suitable anchors for your bridges, your dentist may recommend dental implants to serve as support.