Dental Fillings, Crowns & Bridges in Pikesville

What Is a Dental Crown?

A tooth crown restores broken, decayed, or otherwise damaged teeth by fitting a strong cap over the tooth so it looks and functions like a normal tooth again.

Why Might You Need a Crown?

Just some of the possible reasons why your dentist may recommend placing a tooth crown include having:

• A tooth weakened due to a very big filling.
• A filling with discolorations to remove to improve how your smile appears and operates
• A root filling that needs protecting
• A tooth damaged from an accident
• A bridge or denture you need held more sturdily in place

What Are Crowns Composed Of?

Dentists have a choice of several materials to use to compose crowns for teeth, including:

• Porcelain
• Precious metal (gold or palladium)
• Porcelain bonded to precious metal
• Composite resin

What Is a Dental Filling?

When you have a cavity in a tooth, your dentist may use a tooth filling to fill the hole. First, the dentist cleans out the area of all the decay, then the dentist fills the space with a filling material like:

• Gold
• Porcelain
• Silver amalgam (consisting of mercury combined with tin, silver, copper and zinc)
• Tooth-tinted plastic
• Composite resin
• Glass ionomer (consisting of particles of glass and used like composite resin)

The dentist will determine what type of tooth filling is right for your needs depending on factors like the extent and location of the decay, how much the filling material costs, what your insurance will cover, and what your dentist recommends for your situation and circumstances.

Dentists also use fillings to repair broken teeth or cracked teeth and those worn down due to nail-biting, tooth-grinding, or other misuse.

What Is a Dental Bridge?

Dentists place bridges to replace lost teeth. A tooth bridge can improve your appearance, restore chewing ability, and improve your dental health.

Bridges are made up of crowns that cover your natural teeth on each side of the empty space your missing teeth left behind and pontics, or false teeth, to bridge that gap.

What Bridges Are

A tooth bridge secures replacement teeth to the natural ones on both sides of the gap. This most common type of bridge is called a fixed bridge. Some fixed bridges have dental caps at each end, while others are adhered to the surface of those teeth adjacent to the space.

In many cases, the dentist only needs to fix the bridge to one side of the space; this is known as a cantilever bridge.

Adhesive bridges are also an option, albeit a less commonly used one. These have “wings” bonded to the inner side of the supporting teeth. The benefit of adhesive bridges is that they require much less drilling than the other methods to place.

Cost of Dental Crowns, Fillings, and Bridges in Pikesville

Whether it’s the dental crown cost, tooth filling cost, or dental bridge cost you’re concerned with, many of the factors involved in what you’ll pay out of pocket for the procedure are the same. This includes the type of filling material chosen, the location, and extent of both the tooth and its damage, and how much of the total cost, if any, your dental insurance will cover. Many dental insurance plans will cover dental fillings, crowns, and bridges that dentists say are medically necessary for their patient to have properly functioning teeth. Some insurance plans will cover these restorations only if they’re made of certain materials and not others.

What Kind of Dentist Deals With Bridges, Fillings, and Crowns?

Your general dentist at Naylor’s Court Dental Partners can provide you with all three of these common restorative treatments.

You don’t have to live with damaged or decayed teeth a moment longer. Besides affecting your appearance and self-confidence, tooth damage and decay can also harm your oral health as well as overall physical health. Call us today to discuss how we can help you repair and restore your damaged or decayed teeth.

How to Care for a Dental Bridge, Filling, or Crown

To maintain the life, appearance, and function of your dental restoration, you should clean it every day. This will also help you avoid problems like bad breath and periodontal disease. You’ll need to be sure to keep the natural teeth beneath or surrounding the restoration clean as well. Your dentist in Pikesville can help advise you of the best way to keep your dental bridge, filling, or crown clean and long-lasting.

To schedule an appointment with a dentist in Pikesville to discuss tooth bridges, fillings, or crowns for yourself, contact Naylor’s Court Dental Partners now. We’re looking forward to the chance to give you back a bite that works right and a smile you can wear with pride.