Over time, routine wear and dental accidents can damage teeth. While fillings can be used to correct minor damage, some scenarios require a more comprehensive solution. At Watkins Dental Group, porcelain crowns and bridges help our patients regain strong, healthy smiles by covering or replacing damaged teeth.
Dental Crowns
A dental crown is a porcelain cap used to cover a damaged tooth. By replacing the tooth’s biting surface, crowns help reinforce a tooth’s structure and restore dental function. As crowns are made of highly durable porcelain, they not only improve the overall health of a patient’s smile but can also greatly improve the tooth’s appearance. Crowns can perform various functions, including:
- Restoring a fractured tooth
- Protecting a weak or damaged tooth from fracturing
- Restoring a discolored tooth
- Restoring a misshapen tooth
- Covering a tooth that has had a root canal to restore the tooth and protecting it from bacteria that could cause infection
Same-Day Crowns with CEREC
In the past, placing a dental crown was an extended process that required at least two office visits. But thanks to our advanced CEREC technology, our Dallas, PA dentists can now design, manufacture and place dental crowns in just one office visit.
Here’s how easy it is to place a dental crown using CEREC: Once Dr. Watkins has determined that a crown is an ideal restoration for you, he’ll prepare the tooth to receive the crown. Then he’ll use a device called an intraoral camera to make a virtual impression of your tooth. The impression is sent to our milling machine which is right here in our office. Once your high-grade ceramic crown has been made, Dr. Watkins will attach it to your tooth.
Dental Bridges
Dental bridges are fixed prosthetics that are frequently used to replace missing teeth. This restorative treatment consists of two crowns connected on either side of a replacement tooth, known as a pontic. Depending on the number of missing teeth, a dental bridge can range in size.
Much like dental crowns, bridges are made of high-quality porcelain and are designed to blend in with your smile. While this treatment does require altering neighboring teeth to attach the crowns, many of our patients appreciate that their bridges are permanently fixed into the smile and can be cared for as easily as natural teeth.
Restoring Smiles with Bridges and Crowns in Dallas, PA
If you suffer from damaged or missing teeth, it’s important to have them restored by a qualified dentist as soon as possible. This is the best way to ensure the long-term health of your smile. At Watkins Dental Group, we’ll provide the smile restoration that works best for you. Call (570) 675-1138 today to get started!