New York City Crowns and Bridges From Brooklyn to the Heights

In New York City, crowns and bridges might call up images of backed up traffic and turn-of-the-century row houses. If you have dental problems, though, chances are that you’re not thinking of the Brooklyn Bridge or Crown Heights. Instead, New York City crowns and bridges should make you think about a whiter, straighter and friendlier smile.

As in any other major city, New York City cosmetic dentists offer many options for smile makeovers. These range from tooth whitening treatments for those whose smiles aren’t as bright as they’d like to complete smile makeovers with porcelain veneers, dental implants, dentures, crowns and bridges. If your smile includes broken, stained, missing or crooked teeth, you have may be overwhelmed in deciding which of the many options are right for you. If you’re in need of restorative or cosmetic dental work in New York City, crowns and bridges are among the least expensive and most traditional options. Here’s the skinny on each of those options to help you understand your dentist’s recommendations.

Crowns and Bridges – What the Difference?

While they’re often discussed together, dental crowns and bridges are actually two very different things. While both are replacements for broken or missing teeth, they differ in construction, use and the way they’re placed in your mouth.

A crown is an artificial tooth that is used to improve the appearance or repair a single tooth. It is often used to cover a chipped or broken tooth, though it may also be the best choice to cover a stained tooth that doesn’t respond to whitening, or a tooth that is badly decayed. Some people also choose crowns for cosmetic reasons, for example, to replace a tooth that is too large or too small in relation to its neighbors. To place a crown, the dentist first files down the natural tooth into a peg which will be used to hold the crown in place. He shapes the new tooth from ceramic, porcelain, metal or a composite material. Most often, the crown will be from a material that is colored to match your other teeth, but gold crowns and crowns inset with precious gems – particularly diamonds – are also popular. Once the tooth is shaped, the dentist fits it over the peg, cementing it in place with a permanent dental adhesive. The result is a permanent replacement for the broken tooth.

A bridge is a dental appliance that replaces one or more missing teeth. Unlike crowns, the bridge doesn’t fit over the remains of your own tooth. Instead, the dentist anchors it in place by attaching it to the natural teeth that flank it. In order to do that, the dentist will attach a metal brace or hook to the backs of two or more teeth adjacent to the space where the bridge will fit. He then fabricates the replacement teeth and fits them into a frame designed to fit precisely against your gums and hooks into the metal attachments previously placed in your mouth. Unlike crowns, which commonly only replace one tooth, bridges can replace one or several missing teeth and repair gaps in your smile.

Despite the cost of living in New York City, crowns and bridges often cost no more than they do in other parts of the country. In addition, most New York City cosmetic dentists will be happy to work out payment plans, as well as accept most major credit cards and dental discount plans. Don’t let costs or the fear of the dentist keep you from having the smile you’ve always wanted. Contact a New York City dentist for a consultation to find out just how little it can cost to improve your smile.