Alexandria Dentist for Crowns and Bridges

Experienced Dental Services to Repair or Replace Teeth in Alexandria, Virginia

Damaged or missing teeth can affect more than just the appearance of your smile. They can also impact your ability to chew food, your speech, and your overall oral health. At Alexandria Dental Art, we provide crowns and bridges as part of our restorative dentistry services. Through these procedures, our goal is to help our patients regain confidence and make sure their teeth can function correctly. These treatments are designed to strengthen weakened teeth, replace missing teeth, and restore natural balance to your smile.

Our dental team will carefully plan restorations with you to ensure that they blend seamlessly with the surrounding teeth. Using high-quality materials and advanced techniques, we create crowns and bridges that are durable, natural-looking, and comfortable. Along with other general dentistry and cosmetic dentistry procedures, the crowns and bridges we provide can help you make sure you will have the smile you are looking for.

When Crowns May Be Needed

Dental crowns, often called "caps," are restorations that fully cover a tooth, restoring its strength, shape, and appearance. A crown may be recommended in cases such as:

• Severe Decay: If a cavity is too large to be restored with a filling, a crown can cover the damaged tooth and help prevent further decay.
• Cracks or Fractures: When teeth have experienced damage or trauma, and crown can provide protection to prevent further damage.
• After Root Canal Therapy: A crown can reinforce a tooth that has been treated for infection.
• Cosmetic improvements: Crowns may be used to cover misshapen or discolored teeth and provide a uniform appearance.

Crowns will not only protect damaged teeth, but they can also restore natural function. This can help ensure that you will be able to chew comfortably and speak clearly.

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Procedures Followed When Installing Crowns

The process of receiving a dental crown will usually involve the following steps:

1. Tooth Preparation and Temporary Crown Placement

Our dentist will numb the area around a tooth with local anesthesia to ensure comfort. The damaged tooth will be reshaped to make room for the crown. If necessary, filling material may be added to build up areas of the tooth that are too small to support a crown. A temporary crown will be put in place to provide protection until the permanent crown can be installed.

2. Permanent Crown Placement

Based on impressions that have been taken, our laboratory will create a custom crown that matches the size, shape, and color of your natural teeth. When the new crown is ready, you will return to our office for another procedure where the temporary crown will be removed, and the permanent crown will be secured in place with dental cement. Our dentist will make sure the crown fits correctly to preserve your natural bite. You will leave our office with a strong, natural-looking restoration of your tooth.

When Bridges May Be Needed

A dental bridge may be used to replace one or more missing teeth. Bridges are made up of artificial teeth that are anchored by crowns placed on the teeth adjacent to the gap. This will restore the appearance of a complete smile while also preventing remaining teeth from shifting out of place.

Procedures Followed When Installing a Bridge

The process for placing a bridge is similar to that of crowns, with additional steps to provide support for the replacement teeth:

1. Preparation of Teeth

The teeth on either side of the gap will be reshaped to receive crowns, which will serve as anchors for the bridge. Local anesthesia will be used to ensure comfort during this process.

2. Impressions and Temporary Bridge

Impressions will be taken to design the bridge and ensure that it will fit precisely. A temporary bridge will be placed to protect the prepared teeth and restore appearance until the permanent bridge is ready.

3. Permanent Bridge Placement

At the follow-up appointment, the permanent bridge will be checked for fit and adjusted as needed. It will then be cemented into place. You will benefit from restored function and an improved appearance of your smile.

Comfort and Care During Treatment

At Alexandria Dental Art, patient comfort is our top priority. We use local anesthesia to prevent pain during procedures, and our team will explain each step of a procedure to make sure you know what to expect. We work carefully to ensure that restorations fit comfortably and look natural. After treatment, we will provide you with guidance on maintaining oral health and caring for crowns and bridges to ensure that you can maintain your smile for many years to come.

Contact Our Alexandria, VA Crowns and Bridges Dentist

The restorative dentistry team at Alexandria Dental Art can help rebuild your smile with custom crowns and bridges. Contact our office today at 703-566-8799 to schedule a consultation with our Alexandria bridges and crowns dentist and learn more about how these treatments can restore strength, protect oral health, and give you confidence in your smile.