Crown and Bridges

Anterior Crowns
Anterior crowns are restorations that Dr. Cutler fabricates on your front teeth. Esthetics is an important factor in the fabrication of anterior crowns. Because your smile is so important, anterior crowns need to match your existing teeth perfectly, Dr. Cutler and her staff work diligently to have the most optimal results for your smile.

A crown is a tooth-like restoration which is placed over and completely covers a prepared tooth. Crowns are used when a large amount of tooth structure needs to be replaced and there is insufficient structure to place a filling. Crowns are also used to support and protect fractured teeth, and teeth that have had root canal treatment. For esthetic reasons, crowns are used to cover teeth whose shape and color do not complement your smile.

Posterior Crowns
Posterior crowns are restorations used on your back teeth. Most of the forces of mastication (chewing) are placed on your back teeth. Because they will be bearing a large portion of this force, posterior crowns Dr. Cutler and her lab technicians construct them with a durable material without compromising esthetics. Also, posterior crowns are important because they need to replicate and preserve your occlusion (natural bite) to prevent any future TMJ problems.
A crown is a tooth-like restoration which is placed over and completely covers a prepared tooth. Crowns are used when a large amount of tooth structure needs to be replaced and there is insufficient structure to place a filling. Crowns are also used to support and protect fractured teeth, and teeth that have had root canal treatment. For esthetic reasons, crowns are also used to cover teeth whose shape and color do not complement your smile.

Conventional Bridge Therapy
A conventional bridge, also known as a traditional fixed bridge, is a false tooth, known as a pontic, which is fused between two porcelain crowns to fill in the area left by a missing tooth. Dr. Cutler recommends this type of procedure to replace one or more missing teeth. Unlike removable partial dentures, fixed bridges cannot be taken out of the mouth by the patient. A conventional (fixed) bridge typically consists of three units -the pontic (the false tooth), and two crowns, one on each side of the pontic, to which the pontic is fused. The crowns are cemented to abutment teeth, thus creating the permanent bridge. An alternative to conventional bridge techniques are implants and Dr. Cutler and her team will discuss all options during the treatment planning phase.

What Are My Options When I Need A Crown or Bridge?
There are multiple different crown choices to fit your esthetic and functional needs. Each case is individualized and treatment options are discussed prior to the procedure. The most common types of crowns are gold, porcelain fused to metal and all porcelain crowns. Gold is recommended when the tooth is very short and less tooth structure removal is necessary. Porcelain fused to metal and all porcelain crowns are more esthetic and the typical choice for the patient when applicable.

[Full Gold Crown]	[Porcelain Fused to Metal Crown]	[All Porcelain Crown]

Once the type of crown to be made is decided upon, Dr. Cutler will prepare the tooth. Impressions will be taken and a temporary crown will be placed while our lab technicians fabricate the crown from the impression. The completed crown is typically ready and returned from the lab approximately two to three weeks later. Dr. Cutler will remove the temporary crown and cement the permanent crown(s) on the second visit.