Most of my practice in my San Diego/La Jolla office involves restorative dentistry, much of which is comprised of making crowns and bridges. There are many different technological advances in materials available for creating crowns and bridges. It is important to know all your options. Often I see ill fitting restorations that need to be replaced due to open margins that allow bacteria to get under the crown and cause decay. To avoid this I use only the best materials and technology. My crowns are made with digital computer software that creates a perfect fitting crown. It is also important to make sure the tooth is prepped with a clear and precise margin. I take my time and pay attention to every detail so my patients will have beautiful fitting crowns that last for many years.

My bridges are made with the same materials and technology that I use with crowns. A bridge can be fabricated to replace a missing tooth as an alternative to a dental implant. (Please see the adjacent photos.) I might recommend a bridge if you are missing one or more teeth with adjacent teeth that can support it. If a space or gap is left untreated the remaining teeth can rotate, shift, or super erupt. In some cases this can cause a bad bite and lead to Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders.

Crowns and Bridges can be made out of various metals and porcelains. Over the years the materials available have improved dramatically. All porcelain with no metal allows for a more natural looking tooth and is very cosmetically pleasing. On posterior teeth (molars) Zirconium is a good core base to support the porcelain crown. This provides excellent strength and fracture resistence. With these porcelain restorations the problem with dark lines from metal crowns and bridges is eliminated because they are metal-free. This also makes for a more cosmetic restoration. Using today’s technology, I use only the highest quality porcelain. 

Most dental insurance plans will help to pay for dental crowns and bridges. Please call my office and speak to one of my friendly staff. They are more then happy to look into your dental benefits for you and discuss any questions you may have.porcelain crowns and bridges maintain a translucency that makes them hard to tell from natural teeth. Due to the new porcelain crowns and bridges, the problem with dark lines from metal crowns and bridges is eliminated.

As an alternative to an implant, a bridge can be fabricated to replace a missing tooth. The porcelain allows for a more natural looking tooth.