Dental Crowns & Bridges – Downtown, Washington, D.C.

What is a Dental Crown?

Dental crowns (also commonly referred to as “caps”) are designed to cover an individual tooth’s visible surface, both rebuilding its natural shape and preserving what remains of the structure. The placement of a crown is usually preferable to extraction, and it can be used in a number of versatile situations, such as:

• When a tooth is too decayed to support a filling
• When a tooth is weakened and has a high risk of fracturing
• When a tooth has been seriously injured
• When a tooth has a serious cosmetic imperfection
• When a tooth has been treated with root canal therapy and needs to be restored
• When a single dental implant requires restoration

Your new crown will be crafted over multiple appointments. During the first visit, Dr. Davidson will adjust the tooth, capture detailed impressions, and send off her design to our trusted dental laboratory. Then, eight to ten days later, you’ll return so that we can cement the new, permanent crown in place and make any final adjustments to ensure its success.

Benefits of a Dental Crown

For decades, dentists have used dental crowns to restore a patient’s smile safely and effectively. Why? Because they are reliable and extremely versatile. When meeting with one of our qualified dental professionals, you will learn that receiving a dental crown will prove highly beneficial for these reasons:

• With proper care and maintenance, your dental crowns can be a long-lasting restorative solution
• They are made using high-quality materials that not only allow for greater durability but a natural look as well
• Your dental crown will be custom created by a lab technician to match the size, shape, and color of your smile
• They are easy to clean and maintain

What is a Dental Bridge?

Dental bridges are a possible reconstructive option when a patient has lost one tooth or multiple teeth that appear in a row. This type of restoration literally “bridges” the gap in your smile by anchoring over natural teeth on either side, resulting in a lifelike and sturdy result. Our practice also offers implant-retained bridges, which preserve more of your natural smile and are likely to be longer-lasting. Like dental crowns, bridges will typically require two appointments of your time to fully complete here in Washington, D.C.

Benefits of a Dental Bridge

Dental bridges offer an alternative solution to more invasive, surgical procedures (i.e. dental implants) and can provide a multitude of benefits, including:

• Improvement of your oral health by keeping regular teeth in place and preventing shifting
• A more even distribution of your bite force
• A custom-made restoration that blends in seamlessly with the rest of your smile and is virtually undetectable to others
• The ability to enhance your aesthetic and boost your confidence

What is the Process of Getting a Dental Crown or Bridge?

The process of receiving a dental crown or bridge is somewhat similar but also varies in multiple ways. When having a dental crown put into place, your dentist in Downtown will need to first administer a local anesthetic to numb the area before cleaning out the decayed area of your tooth. Then, they will fill it with a composite resin that is matched to your natural tooth color to create a firm and solid seal. After using a curing light to harden the resin, we will file down the tooth in preparation for the finalized dental crown.

It is necessary that we take impressions to send to the dental lab for the creation of your prosthetic. While waiting for your permanent crown to arrive, you will wear a temporary restoration in the meantime. After several weeks, you will return to have your permanent crown put into place.

If missing a tooth and preparing for a dental bridge, we will begin by numbing the area around your gap where your healthy teeth live. Once we’ve filed down these natural teeth to ensure a proper fit once your bridge is put into place, we will take impressions of the area and let lab technicians use it as a blueprint to create your prosthetic.

Based on the specifications we provide, the finalized restoration will be created to blend in with the rest of your smile. While waiting for it to be completed, you will receive a temporary one to wear. Once your permanent bridge is ready for placement, you will return to our office to have your temporary removed and your custom-made dental bridge cemented over the gap in your smile.