Teeth that have been damaged by decay or trauma can be restored with a custom dental crown, placed by Dr. Damien Armstrong at his Chattanooga practice. These tooth-shaped prosthetics are made to cover the remaining healthy portion of your tooth, providing support, a balanced bite, and a natural appearance. We also provide dental bridges, a similar restoration that replaces one or missing teeth. If your smile has been compromised by decayed, damaged, or lost teeth, please contact our Chattanooga office to learn how custom dental crowns and bridges can restore the comfort, functionality and appearance you deserve.

Placing Dental Crowns and Bridges

Before a custom crown or bridge can be created and set in place, your teeth must be treated to provide a healthy anchor. Dental crowns are frequently preceded by a root canal, or the removal of the tooth's inner pulp to treat advanced decay. Once the procedure is complete, the tooth's healthy outer structure is filled with a rubber-like material. Similarly, if you have a tooth that has been severely damaged, Dr. Armstrong will remove portions of that tooth to create a healthy foundation for a crown. In both cases, a mold is taken of the treated tooth, and this is sent to an offsite laboratory where a skilled technician will create your custom crown from porcelain selected to match the color of your natural teeth. It takes about two weeks to create your restoration, and in the meantime, you will wear a temporary crown. For patients seeking a more immediate restorative solution, we also offer same-day crowns, which can be placed during a single visit. When your permanent crown is complete, you will return to our office to have it permanently placed. Dr. Armstrong will "try in" the crown to ensure a proper fit. If necessary, any last-minute adjustments can be made. Next, the crown is permanently cemented to the tooth. Dr. Armstrong will gauge your bite to ensure that you jaws meet properly. Again, if needed, slight adjustments to the contours of the crown will be made in order to achieve a comfortable bite.

Placing Dental Bridges

If you require a dental bridge, it may be anchored in one of two ways. The traditional method uses two adjacent dental crowns. This requires that two teeth are reshaped to accommodate dental crowns, which will hold either side of your bridge. Once these teeth have been prepared, a mold will be taken of both teeth, as well as the gap in between, which will guide the creation of your custom restoration.

You can also choose to support a bridge with a dental implant. A small titanium post is surgically implanted in the jaw bone, and after three to six months of healing time, it will have fully integrated with the bone to provide an anchor for your bridge. Meanwhile, the presence of the implant halts the loss of bone mass, a process that eventually occurs in the absence of tooth roots.

Learn More about Bridges and Crowns

If you have damaged or decayed teeth, or if you have lost one or more teeth, contact our Chattanooga office to learn how dental crowns and bridges can restore your smile.