Repairing a damaged tooth can require various techniques, depending on your situation and what your smile has been through. At times, the choices available may seem a little overwhelming.

Two of the most common restorative dental treatments that our Somerville dentists offer are crowns and bridges. But what’s the difference between the two?

Dental Crowns for Individual Teeth

Crowns (sometimes called “caps”) are single-tooth restorations that cover a tooth to protect it, after it has experienced significant structural damage or been treated with a root canal.

A crown is usually made of porcelain, but it can also have a metal base or be crafted out of gold.

If you’re replacing a single tooth with a dental implant, you’ll need a crown to go on top of it.

Bridges: Like Crowns, But for Tooth Replacement

Imagine 3-4 crowns that are fused side-by-side. Now picture that the end crowns are functional, but the ones between them are not. Each functional crown is then set on top of a healthy tooth or pair of implants, bridging the pontic crowns over the gap left behind after a tooth has been extracted. They “bridge” the space, hence their name.

Bridges require the same care and maintenance as crowns, because it’s essential for both ends of the restoration to remain stable in order for the overall prosthesis to be a success.

You can only elect to get a bridge if the gap isn’t too large or there is a stable pair of teeth/implants capable of supporting it.

Will Anyone Know the Difference?

At Somersmiles Dental we work hard to ensure that every restoration, whether it’s a crown or a bridge, is made in a way that it blends in with your smile as best as possible. One of the advantages of ceramic and porcelain materials is that you can smile without other people having to know you’ve had reconstructive dental work done.

Schedule a consultation with our Somerville dentists today for more information.