A crown is a covering that encases the entire tooth restoring a damaged tooth to its original shape, size and color. This is the treatment of choice for severely damaged teeth.
It is a two-stage process whereby at the first visit the tooth is prepared and an impression or mould is then sent to the dental laboratory. You leave your first visit with the tooth stabilized by a temporary crown. At your second appointment the crown is cemented on to the tooth.
The Dental Centre only recommends the very latest all-ceramic zirconium porcelain crowns.
Zirconium crowns have a very strong crystalline core onto which porcelain of the correct shade are layered then fired in the dental laboratory. This is the ultimate quality porcelain crown so life-like in appearance that it mimics a natural tooth and is the only one we recommend in all our smile makeovers.
Metal bonded porcelain crowns are considered by us at dental-make-over as old and out of date technology. Not only are these crowns dull, lifeless and lacking in vitality the often exhibit unsightly dark margins.
Removal of unsightly amalgam fillings is one quick way in helping towards an all white smile and at the same time reducing the stress on your body’s immune system to mercury toxicity.
A bridge is a dental restoration used to permanently replace missing teeth. Teeth lost due to accident or gum disease can be bridged by preparing the teeth on either side the gap a technique similar to that of crown preparation.
This is a two-stage procedure whereby impressions are taken of the prepared teeth and there is a temporary phase. The bridge is then constructed in the laboratory and cemented into place at the second visit.
At The Dental Centre we recommend the very latest zirconium core technology. Zirconium bridges are a strong and favored solution to tooth replacement in situations where the gaps formed by missing teeth are small.
In instances where the remaining teeth are in perfect condition or the number of missing teeth is more extensive; implant dentistry is most probably the treatment of choice.
A porcelain inlay or onlay can be considered as a filling that is made in the laboratory. The advantage of this procedure is a stronger more durable restoration custom made to match the color of your teeth.
With it being a laboratory based process, impressions are required and it is a two visit procedure with a temporary phase. At the second visit the temporary filling material is removed and the inlay is cemented in to place. Onlays are similar to inlays but cover a greater proportion of the tooth surface and are not held in by cavity walls.
The Dental Centre strongly recommends removal of all amalgam fillings and replacement with zirconium based porcelain inlays. Conventional composite based resin restorations are a second cheaper option and advised only where financial constraints dictate.
A dental veneer is a thin porcelain cover that is bonded on to the surface of the a tooth with or without tooth preparation. It is the treatment of choice for stained and chipped teeth where tooth damage is not extensive enough to consider full crown preparation.
It is a two visit process involving the dental laboratory. Veneers are the most cost effective way of improving your smile.
The Dental Centre only recommends laboratory constructed veneers and not those made out of composite resins at the chair side. These cheaper veneers very quickly pick up stain and discolor unlike laboratory made porcelain veneers that are completely impervious to staining.
The Dental Centre can quickly consider if you are a suitable candidate for a porcelain veneers by assessing your bite and jaw relation. Veneers are thin and their edges must be protected at all times from prematurely contacting the opposing teeth. Due to this and other considerations not all people are suitable for veneer smile makeovers.
