Crowns and Bridges

A crown covers and protects a tooth that is too damaged for a filling. A bridge replaces a missing tooth by anchoring to the teeth on either side. Both are made to match the teeth around them, and at Soothing Dental in Plymouth both are shaped by a dentist whose postdoctoral training was in aesthetics.

When a tooth needs a crown rather than a filling

A filling replaces a portion of a tooth. A crown takes over the whole outer surface, which is what a tooth needs once too much structure has gone: a large old filling that keeps failing, a crack, a tooth that has had a root canal, or one that has simply worn down over decades. The rule of thumb is that when there is more repair than tooth left, the repair needs to become the outside.

What a bridge does

A bridge spans a gap where a tooth used to be, using the teeth on either side as support. It restores chewing, it stops the neighboring teeth from drifting into the space, and it fills the gap when you smile. Where the neighboring teeth are healthy and untouched, an implant is often the better long-term answer because it does not involve reshaping them. We will tell you honestly which one your situation actually calls for.

Made to look like a tooth, not like dentistry

This is where the aesthetic training shows. Shade, translucency, and the small irregularities that make a tooth read as real are the difference between a crown nobody notices and one that announces itself every time you smile. Dr. Alejandra deFuentes Cutter, D.D.S. completed her postdoctorate at the University of Michigan with a focus on aesthetics, and front teeth in particular are designed rather than simply replaced.

What to expect

Crown and bridge work generally takes two visits. At the first we prepare the tooth, take a precise impression, and fit a temporary so you leave with a normal-looking smile. At the second we fit the permanent restoration, check the bite carefully, and adjust until it feels like nothing. You should not be able to feel a crown with your tongue or your bite.

How long they last

Well-made crowns and bridges routinely last well over a decade, and often much longer. What shortens that is not usually the crown itself but what happens around it: decay at the margin, or gum disease undermining the support. Which is to say the cleaning appointment protects the expensive work.

Crowns and bridges in Plymouth

If a tooth is cracked, an old filling keeps breaking, or you have been putting off a gap because you assumed it would be a production, come and talk it through. We see patients from Plymouth, Canton, Northville, and a good way beyond, and we will lay out the options plainly, including the cheaper ones.