When you have a damaged tooth, there may be several options for restoring its look and function. The extent of the damage, the location 
of the tooth and the health of your other teeth will all determine which restoration will benefit you the most. For missing teeth, Dr. Kris O'Neill, your dentist in Columbia, South Carolina, often recommends crowns and bridges, which are two parts of one restoration. Here's how these two implements work together to create one great tooth replacement!
What is a crown?
Teeth that have extensive decay or breakage cannot be repaired with a simple filling or bonding; they will need crowns to be fitted over them as protection from further problems. Crowns are tooth-shaped restorations, made from porcelain or porcelain fused to metal, that are hollow in the middle. Using local anesthetic and hand-held tools, your Columbia dentist will prepare the damaged tooth, removing the decay while keeping the remaining healthy structure, including the roots, intact. This allows a crown to be placed snugly over the tooth and cemented into place. With good oral hygiene and regular checkups, a crown can last many years.
What is a bridge?
Another way crowns can improve your dental health is by supporting a bridge. Bridges are artificial teeth, made similarly to crowns, that fill in spaces caused by missing teeth. Bridges can consist of one tooth or several, but all are held in place by crowns that are attached to healthy natural teeth on either side of the gap. Dr. O'Neill uses the same method to prepare your teeth for the crowns that are part of the bridge's structure.
If you have a missing tooth, crowns and bridges could be exactly what you need. Let dentist Kris O'Neill, DMD help you achieve a better smile by contacting her office in Columbia, South Carolina for an appointment today!