Dental Crowns and Bridges

Dental Crowns and Bridges are restorative dental procedures used to repair or replace one or more teeth. Below, we provide brief descriptions of each.

Dental Crowns

Crowns fit over a tooth to protect and strengthen it. You may need a crown if you broke off part of a tooth, the tooth has become too weak to chew, or it has a deep crack or extensive decay.

You need to attend two dental appointments to receive your new crown. During the first appointment, Dr. Carta performs a visual inspection, takes X-rays of your teeth and gums, and molds the affected tooth. Our dental laboratory uses these specifications to create your customized crown.

When preparing your tooth for a crown, Dr. Carta must remove a portion of it to ensure that the restoration fits properly. During this phase of treatment, your tooth will take on a more pointed shape. Dr. Carta then shows you several shades of teeth from a cardboard cutout and asks you to select the one closest to your own shade. He will match the shade of your crown to your preferred color as closely as possible.

Once he has removed enough tooth structure for the crown to fit, Dr. Carta applies dental adhesive to your tooth and crown and uses a curing light to speed up the drying process. He will also check to ensure your bite is even with the new restoration in your mouth.

Dental Bridges

A dental bridge may be the right choice if you have one missing tooth or a few consecutive missing teeth. Dr. Carta places one of four types of dental bridges depending on the strength of the neighboring teeth. For example, a traditional bridge requires support from the teeth on both sides of the missing tooth. The brackets that hold the artificial tooth in place go on the backside of the teeth. He uses a different type of bridge if you only have one tooth strong enough to provide support.

Request a Restorative Dentistry Consultation

We invite you to reach out to request a time to discuss crowns and bridges in Manchester, CT. We look forward to helping you feel more confident about your smile.