Crowns vs Bridges:Which Is Right for You?

Crowns vs bridges: the age-old competition common to old age. Don’t be fooled by that opening sentiment, though: at Dazzling Smiles, we believe crowns and bridges can be for anyone. If you’re reading this blog post, chances are you’ve lost a tooth. In such a case, you’ve come to the right place. Dazzling Smiles can provide you with artificial teeth such as crowns or bridges.

Before making personal recommendations, let’s first straighten out the difference between a crown and a bridge.

Difference between crowns and bridges

Crowns are ‘caps’ that are designed to substitute a missing or misshapen tooth. You can have them for functional or aesthetic reasons. For example, if you have a dental implant, you will likely want to attach a crown to the top. If you’ve endured a dental injury—or if your tooth just doesn’t look right—you can have your dentist cut down your natural tooth to fit the crown. A crown is often made from porcelain or composite resin. It’s designed to fit a single tooth.

Bridges, on the other hand, are three crowns fused together. The middle crown covers the site of a missing tooth. The surrounding two, in the same vein of a footbridge, sit atop two natural teeth, which a dentist will have cut down to make way for the bridge. Like single crowns, bridges are a permanent fixture. 

Dental Bridges come in three different varieties: traditional (as described above), cantilever (which uses only one natural tooth as a support—this is not commonly recommended), and Maryland (which utilises two resin wings that cling to the two adjacent teeth for support. In this case, the two neighbouring teeth can remain unaltered).

Benefits of bridges over crowns

We’re not saying that bridges are better than crowns, but they can be best if you want to alter more than one tooth. If only one tooth is the issue, by all means, a single crown may be the best choice. However, if the two teeth surrounding your gap are also problematic, a crown can correct three teeth in one go. So long as you’re content to permanently alter the surrounding two teeth, bridges can be a great way to resolve aesthetic issues surrounding the site of your missing tooth.

Where to get crowns and bridges

Whether you’re looking for dental crowns in Craigieburn or dental bridges in Craigieburn, Dazzling Smiles can literally bridge the gap. If you have concerns about your tooth’s aesthetics—or if you have a tooth missing—you can discuss your options with one of our friendly dentists. Call Dazzling Smiles at 03-8339-4253 or fill out our online enquiry form. We can’t wait to help complete your smile!