Dental Crowns and Bridges in Ocean Grove
A crown rebuilds a tooth that is too damaged for a filling. A bridge replaces a missing tooth using the teeth either side as support. This page explains what each involves, the alternatives and the risks.
Ocean Breeze Dental has cared for families in Ocean Grove and across the Bellarine for more than 30 years. To arrange a consultation, call (03) 5255 2584.
A written treatment plan and quote before any treatment begins
What a dental crown is
A crown is a custom-made restoration that covers a tooth completely, from the gum line up. It is manufactured in a dental laboratory to the shape and shade recorded at your appointment, and cemented permanently onto the prepared tooth.
A filling replaces missing tooth structure from within. A crown encases the remaining tooth from the outside. The distinction matters, because once a tooth has lost sufficient structure, placing a larger filling leaves the surrounding walls thinner and more susceptible to fracture.
When a crown may be recommended
- A cracked tooth. A crack that flexes under load can propagate. A crown holds the remaining tooth structure together. Whether a crown will save a particular cracked tooth depends on how far the crack extends, which is not always possible to determine in advance.
- After root canal treatment, particularly on back teeth, which are more brittle once root filled and subject to heavy chewing forces. See our root canal treatment page.
- A large existing restoration that has failed repeatedly. Where filling material makes up much of the biting surface, the remaining tooth walls may be unsupported.
- Significant wear from grinding or erosion, where teeth have shortened and the bite needs rebuilding.
- On a dental implant. The crown is the visible tooth portion of an implant.
Materials
Most crowns placed at the practice are all-ceramic, generally zirconia or a layered porcelain. These have no metal margin at the gum line and can be shade matched to adjacent teeth. Metal and metal-bonded crowns remain appropriate in some situations, particularly where space is limited or occlusal forces are heavy.
No single material is best for every tooth. We will explain which we are recommending for yours and the reasoning behind it, and you are welcome to ask about the alternatives.
What a bridge is
A bridge replaces a missing tooth by anchoring a replacement to the teeth either side of the gap. Those supporting teeth are prepared and crowned, and the replacement tooth is joined to them as a single fixed unit. It is not removable.
A bridge may be considered where the adjacent teeth already require crowns, where bone volume is insufficient for an implant without grafting, or where a fixed replacement is wanted within weeks rather than months.
The alternatives to a bridge
There are four ways to approach a single missing tooth, and each has trade-offs:
- A bridge. Fixed, and generally completed in weeks. It requires preparing the two adjacent teeth, which involves removing structure from teeth that may be healthy. Cleaning beneath a bridge requires a floss threader or interdental brush rather than ordinary flossing.
- An implant. Leaves the adjacent teeth untouched and maintains bone in the site. It involves a surgical procedure, a longer timeline, and its own set of risks, which are covered on the implants page.
- A removable partial denture. Lower cost and no preparation of adjacent teeth, but it is removable and less stable than a fixed option.
- Leaving the gap. A legitimate choice in some situations. Adjacent teeth can tip and the opposing tooth can over-erupt over time, but whether that will cause you a problem depends on where the gap is and how your bite functions.
We will set out which of these are realistic for your situation, with the costs and risks of each, and the decision is yours.
What the appointments involve
First appointment: preparation
The tooth is anaesthetised and shaped to create space for the crown. Any decay or failing restoration is removed at this stage. If insufficient tooth structure remains to retain a crown, a core build-up is placed first.
We then record the prepared tooth with a digital scanner, together with a record of how your teeth meet. A temporary crown is placed to protect the tooth while the permanent one is manufactured. Allow approximately 70-120 minutes.
Between appointments
The crown is made by a dental technician, which generally takes two to three weeks. The temporary crown is held with softer cement so it can be removed, so avoid sticky and hard foods on that side. If it comes off, keep it and contact us.
Second appointment: fitting
The temporary is removed and the permanent crown is tried in. We check the fit at the margin, the shade against the adjacent teeth, and that your bite closes evenly. If any of these is not correct the crown is returned to the laboratory and refitted at a further appointment. Once accepted it is cemented permanently. Allow approximately 30 to 60 minutes.
Risks and limitations you should know about
Crowns and bridges are routine restorative treatments, and they carry risks. We will discuss these with you in relation to your own teeth before you consent:
- The tooth may later need root canal treatment. Preparing a tooth for a crown can irritate the pulp. A proportion of crowned teeth subsequently develop pulp problems and require root canal treatment through or after the crown. This can happen months or years later.
- Sensitivity to cold and to pressure is common in the weeks following preparation and usually reduces, but it can persist.
- Decay at the margin. The crown itself cannot decay, but the tooth beneath it can, at the junction where the crown meets the tooth. This is the most common reason a crown eventually needs replacing.
- Chipping, fracture or debonding. Ceramic can chip and cemented restorations can come loose, particularly under heavy grinding forces.
- Gum recession over time can expose the crown margin, which may become visible on a front tooth.
- Shade matching a single front tooth is difficult. Matching one crown to a natural neighbouring tooth is among the harder tasks in dentistry, and a result that satisfies you may require remakes.
- Bridges place additional load on the supporting teeth. If one supporting tooth fails, the whole bridge generally has to be removed and remade, which can mean losing more than the original problem.
- Irreversibility. Preparing a tooth for a crown or bridge permanently removes tooth structure and cannot be undone.
Caring for a crown or bridge
The margin where the crown meets the tooth is where problems start. Brush twice daily with fluoride toothpaste and clean between the teeth daily. Under a bridge, floss will not pass through, so cleaning is done with a floss threader, superfloss or an interdental brush. We will show you the technique when the bridge is fitted.
Attend the review appointments we recommend for you, so that the margins can be checked while any problem is still small. The interval we suggest is based on your own risk of decay and gum disease rather than a fixed schedule for everyone. See our check-up and clean page.
Tell us if you grind your teeth. Grinding places heavy loads on ceramic restorations, and a nightguard may be recommended to protect them.
How we quote
Fees vary with the material used, the number of units involved and whether the tooth needs a foundation built first. For that reason we quote after a consultation rather than publishing a figure that would not apply to you.
What you can expect:
- An examination first. Any figure we give you is based on your own teeth and x-rays, not an average.
- A written treatment plan. It lists every item, the item numbers and the total, and sets out what is and is not included.
- Time to check it with your health fund. The item numbers let your fund quote you an exact rebate before you commit.
- On the spot claiming through HICAPS, so you pay only the gap on the day.
- No surprises. Nothing proceeds until you have accepted the plan, and if anything changes once treatment is under way we talk to you before going ahead.
Dental Crowns and Bridges FAQs
How long will a crown last?
We do not publish a lifespan figure, because it depends on the individual tooth, how much sound structure remains, your bite, whether you grind, and how the margin is maintained. Your dentist will discuss the outlook for your tooth at your consultation.
Will the crown match my other teeth?
Shade is selected at the preparation appointment and checked before the crown is cemented. If the match is not acceptable to you at the try-in stage, the crown goes back to the laboratory. Matching a single front tooth is more difficult than matching a back tooth, and we will be straight with you about that before starting.
Does having a crown prepared hurt?
The appointment is carried out under local anaesthetic. Tell us during the appointment if you feel discomfort, as more anaesthetic can be given. Some sensitivity in the following weeks is common.
Can a crowned tooth still decay?
Yes, at the margin where the crown meets the tooth. Checking those margins is part of your review appointments.
What if my crown comes off?
Keep it, do not attempt to re-cement it yourself, and contact the practice. If the underlying tooth is sound it can often be re-cemented, though not always.
Is a crown the right answer for a discoloured front tooth?
Not necessarily. Whitening or a veneer removes less tooth structure than a crown and may be appropriate depending on the cause of the discolouration. We will discuss the least invasive option likely to address your concern.
Book a consultation
If you have a tooth that is cracked, breaking down or missing, call Ocean Breeze Dental on (03) 5255 2584 or book online.
We are at Unit 12, 73 The Terrace, Ocean Grove, with lift access and street parking nearby. Open Monday, Wednesday and Friday 9:00am to 5:30pm, and Tuesday and Thursday until 7:30pm. We see patients from Ocean Grove, Barwon Heads, Point Lonsdale, Wallington, Drysdale and across the Bellarine Peninsula.
This page provides general information about dental procedures. It is not personal dental advice and does not replace an examination. What is appropriate for your teeth can only be determined by a dentist after assessing you. All treatment carries risks, which are set out above and will be discussed with you before you consent to treatment.