Crowns and Bridges

Highly Recommended Cosmetic Dentistry in Santa Clara

Cosmetic dentistry includes dental care procedures concentrated primarily on the improvement of the look and feel of your teeth, mouth, gums, and smile. Most of the time, cosmetic procedures are elective, but there are also cases in which these techniques provide restorative benefits.

There are many different procedures that come under the cosmetic dentistry genre. Most of these are fairly simple and can be performed by any dentist. Others, on the other hand, are a little more complex and require practitioners who are specialized in them.

What are Dental Bridges and who needs them?

Bridges are permanently fixed prosthetic devices that are used to fill the gaps of one or more missing teeth. These fixtures are cemented onto your gums and so you cannot remove and clean them like removable devices like dentures.

If you have one or more missing teeth, the gaps left by them can eventually cause the remaining teeth to shift or rotate into the empty spaces. This could result in the odd placement of teeth which will cause difficulty in chewing. Furthermore, this uneven distribution of teeth could also cause gum disease and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders.

For this reason, it is recommended to get a dental bridge that can be fitted to the natural teeth or implants surrounding the empty space.

When is it necessary to get a Dental Crown?

Dental crowns are covers or caps that span the top of an implant to strengthen the damaged tooth and also to improve its appearance. Just like bridges, crowns are permanent fixtures that are to be cleaned by brushing your teeth.

There are many reasons when your dentist may recommend a crown. These include replacement of a large filling when there isn’t much tooth matter remaining, protection of a weak tooth from a fracture, covering of a damaged and discolored tooth etc.

What are Dental Crowns and Bridges made of?

Dental Crowns and Bridges are made of a variety of materials depending on their application and the patients’ needs. Majority of these are made of porcelain and ceramic to match the color of your teeth. Other materials include gold and metal alloys and acrylic.

What are Dentures and when are they required?

Dentures are removable replacements for missing teeth and surrounding tissues that are custom-built to fit on your jaw. Unlike dental bridges and crowns, these devices are removable and can be cleaned by removing them from your mouth.

These are mostly employed when a patient is missing a number of teeth. There are basically two types of dentures: Full and Partial. As the names suggest, full dentures come with a full set of artificial teeth that can be fit and removed as required whereas partial dentures allow filling of a few teeth. Both these types of dentures come with a flesh-colored acrylic base over which artificial teeth a fit.

What are Dental Lumineers and how are they different from traditional Dental Veneers?

Traditional veneers are thick and bulky because of which they can, at times, be uncomfortable. Lumineers, on the other hand, are ultra-thin (approximately 0.2 mm) and highly translucent, which allows them to replicate the natural appearance of the enamel. Moreover, tooth reduction during installation is reduced to almost null thanks to the thinness of Lumineers.

These devices are used to reshape and permanently whiten your teeth. To top it all off, no post placement discomfort or sensitivity occurs, which means these devices will fit right in, look natural and feel comfortable.

Maria Balce, D.D.S. is a cosmetic dentistry in Santa Clara, California. Dr. Balce helps you find the ideal cosmetic treatment you need to make your smile more attractive. Give us a call at (626) 336-7567 to book an appointment.