A crown or “dental cap” is used to cover a tooth that is broken down or decayed in order to strengthen and restore your tooth to its proper shape and function. Protecting a tooth with a crown is a great opportunity to replace unsightly and scary large amalgam fillings that are known to break and damage your teeth. With advances in dental science, we now have stronger, more lifelike aesthetic ceramic crowns that look and feel just like your own teeth- no metal to make the gum around the crown look black. Now, for those who have not been able to have porcelain crowns due to their excessive habit of clenching and grinding (sometimes referred to as bruxism), we even have a ceramic alternative- Zirconia crowns. No, its not a knock off diamond wedding ring, rather a practically hard-as-diamond metal free crown that dental labs claim can hold up to pounding from a hammer (we don’t suggest you try that once it is in your mouth).

A bridge is used to replace a missing tooth or teeth and provides benefits such as restoring your smile, allowing you to chew properly and preventing your other teeth from shifting out of their proper positions. Even these can be made metal free.

Both crowns and bridges can be made out of porcelain (an aesthetic dental ceramic), metal (a gold or other metal alloy), or a combination of both. We use local labs in the United States that guarantee lead-free metals and porcelains. Our labs also use state of the art scanning procedures for precision fit and function. Come see why we are considered one of the best cosmetic dentists in Wilmington Delaware.

Dental implants are another option for replacing a missing tooth, or teeth. Essentially a titanium tooth root is placed into your bone to replace the natural root that you have lost. This is considered by most to be a painless procedure. Usually a small abutment is anchored into the implant that transitions into the mouth. Then a crown or “cap” is placed over the abutment to restore the missing tooth. A dental implant has the advantage over a bridge because it does not rely on the neighboring teeth for support and will feel and act more like a natural tooth. You can, and definitely should, floss around an implant. Implants can also be used to secure loose dentures and partials, allowing you to chew and function properly.

If you are missing one or many teeth, or your dentures don’t have that tight fit that you want, ask us if an implant tooth is right for you!