Crowns and Bridges in Ahwatukee & Tempe, Phoenix AZ
Are your dental problems hindering your smile? Damaged or missing teeth complicate simple everyday tasks such as eating and talking. They also affect your self-esteem, making it hard to smile and socialize. At Ironwood Dental Center, Dr. George Karale provides reliable, long-term solutions to these problems through our quality crowns and bridges.
We customize your crown or bridge using quality materials that restore function to your bite while preserving your smile's natural look and feel. Whether you're dealing with a cavity, a fractured tooth, or multiple missing teeth in a row, or Phoenix crowns and bridges can help. Call us today to find out more!
CALL US: (480) 704-0701 REQUEST APPOINTMENT
What’s the Difference Between a Crown and a Bridge?
Crowns are tooth-shaped dental prosthetics that rebuild the structure of weak, misshapen, chipped, and cracked teeth. They're also integral to other dental procedures, including root canal therapy, bridges, and dental implants. Our Phoenix dental crowns consist of a variety of materials, including porcelain, ceramic, metal, and resin. The cap, also known as a crown, restores the shape, strength, appearance, and size of affected teeth.
While dental crowns can repair a single tooth, dental bridges replace up to three missing teeth in a row. These fixed appliances use crowns on neighboring teeth to secure the restoration. Phoenix dental bridges can replace as many as three consecutive teeth and are a stable alternative to removable partial dentures. Dr. Karale creates realistic prosthetics that blend seamlessly with your natural teeth.
How to Prepare For a Dental Crown
We understand that the process of getting a dental crown may be unfamiliar, and we're happy to answer any questions during your initial exam and treatment planning. Here's a breakdown of the general process to help you feel better informed of what you can expect. It typically takes two visits to place your dental crowns:
First visit: Dr. Karale performs a thorough oral exam during this visit, focusing on the affected tooth. Root canal therapy might be necessary if we identify severe tooth decay, compromised tooth pulp, or risk of infection. If a sizeable chunk of your tooth is missing or decayed, then we might use filling material to create a structure that the crown will cover. During this visit, our team shapes the tooth to accommodate a crown, makes impressions of your teeth, and sends them to the lab to have your custom crown made. We provide a temporary crown to cover the tooth until your permanent crown arrives.
Second visit: This visit typically occurs about two weeks after the impressions have been sent to the lab. By then, the lab will have delivered the permanent crown for fitting. Our dentist may make minor adjustments to it to improve accuracy and comfort before permanently cementing it in place and restoring your smile.
Replacing Your Missing Teeth with Implant-Supported Restorations
An implant-supported crown or bridge relies on one or more dental implant posts to hold them in place. They differ from traditional bridges because they don't involve changes to the neighboring teeth. Attaching a dental crown to an implant allows the dentist to replace a single missing tooth. An implant-supported bridge can replace three missing teeth, with two crowns as anchors on either end and a prosthetic tooth in the middle.
Dental implants are vital in preventing bone loss. Missing teeth deprive your jaw of the sensations it receives from pressure necessary for chewing food. Implant-supported crowns and bridges continue to stimulate the jawbone, which prevents bone loss. If you already suffer from bone loss, then Dr. Karale will recommend a bone graft procedure to restore the necessary bone density before installing the bridge.
The Benefits of Dental Crowns and Bridges
The most apparent benefit of crowns and bridges in Phoenix is restoring and protecting your dental structure and overall oral health. These restorations help you achieve optimal oral function, preserving bite alignment and fixing gaps between teeth. They also distribute the bite pressure equally, which reduces overall wear and tear on your natural teeth.
Crowns and bridges also serve an aesthetic purpose by covering discolored, broken, chipped, or missing teeth. These dental prosthetics restore your beautiful smile, which ultimately boosts your quality of life. Crowns and bridges in Phoenix are extremely durable, which makes them a worthwhile investment. With proper care, they can last 10-15 years or more.
How to Maintain Dental Crowns and Bridges
When you visit us for your dental crown or bridge, Dr. Karale will give you comprehensive homecare guidelines following your appointment. It's normal to feel some sensitivity and tenderness immediately after the procedure. When necessary, we may prescribe some pain medication to handle this initial discomfort.
Proper oral hygiene is essential in maintaining your prosthetic teeth. The homecare tips are easy to follow and include brushing twice daily, flossing once a day, cleaning under the bridge, and attending routine dental checkups.
Dental Crowns and Bridges FAQs
We understand that you'll have questions about your treatment options. Our team is happy to answer various inquiries about our crowns and bridges in Phoenix. Here are some of the most common questions we receive:
No. Although you’re more likely to receive a crown after root canal therapy, crowns are versatile and can be used for everything from protecting a fractured tooth to providing cosmetic enhancements.
No. Dr. Karale uses his expertise and eye for detail to design the prosthetics to match your natural teeth.
Avoid chewing gum for about a week after the procedure to allow your prosthetics to bond with your dental structure. If you must chew gum, make sure it’s a sugar-free option to avoid damaging your natural teeth.
Beautify Your Smile with Crowns and Bridges in Phoenix
At Ironwood Dental Center, our mission is to give you the smile you've been dreaming of. We offer crowns and bridges in Phoenix to help you rebuild your smile with treatment that's straightforward and proven reliable. You don't have to hide your smile because of missing or damaged teeth. Our skilled team, led by Dr. George Karale, provides customized solutions to all your dental problems. Schedule an appointment today to see how we can help!
CALL US: (480) 704-0701 REQUEST APPOINTMENT