We need teeth that work well if we are going to eat well and keep our bodies supplied with a good range of nutrients so that it can repair itself. Biting and chewing are important because we only have one set of teeth in the body. Once our food has been swallowed, there are no teeth further down in the digestive system to grind it into a paste that can release its nutrients.
But, as we go through life, things happen to our teeth. They decay, or they get broken, or fall out due to gum disease. Not only do gaps between teeth look unsightly, but they can cause the teeth next door to start shifting around and even fall out.
But the good news is that there are ways to save what’s left of broken or largely decayed teeth, and other ways to replace the odd missing tooth, thanks to crowns and bridges from us at Smile Stories in Bournemouth.
What are crowns?
A crown goes over your entire tooth to give it a whole new lease of life. These days crowns are generally made of strong, tooth-coloured porcelain that is shaped and sized to match your surrounding teeth. Crowns are used to strengthen teeth that have lost a lot of material to decay, or have been broken and need building back up. Crowns extend the life of a tooth that is damaged above the gum line, but still has strong and healthy roots. It is a good idea to hang on to such teeth for as long as possible because replacing roots means expensive dental implants, and without your tooth roots the bone in your jaw starts to shrink away, leading to a pointy-chinned, sunken look.
What about bridges
Bridges are used to replace one to three teeth in a row that are missing. They are called bridges because the artificial tooth crowns literally bridge the gap between two healthy teeth. Bridges are fixed in place by grinding down the teeth on either side of the gap to act as abutments to the bridge. The porcelain crowns are sized, shaped, and coloured to match the surrounding teeth.