When you have one or more missing teeth in a row, a bridge is often the best solution for replacing them. However, the pontics, which are the replacement teeth, need healthy teeth to support them. These teeth are then altered so that dental crowns fit over the support teeth to form the bridge.

Why are Crowns Necessary to Support Bridges?

Along with protecting or preventing further damage to a natural tooth that’s cracked or badly chipped, crowns can also help support replacement teeth. Extracting or having teeth knocked out leaves gaps in them that can cause additional damage to your natural teeth over time.

When one of our dentists in El Dorado Hills Town Center Dental recommends a bridge for replacing your teeth, they will explain how they help to support them. Our dentists will use dental crowns in El Dorado Hills, CA over natural teeth to support the bridge.

It doesn’t matter if pontics or mini-implants replace the teeth; the bridge still needs supportive teeth to provide stability to the appliance. Dental implants will provide more stability, but if the jaw has too much damage, then the dentist may not be able to use them.

Problems that Arise from Missing Teeth

Without replacing teeth, the natural ones support them will begin to drift toward the gap left over from extracting the teeth. As the teeth begin to drift, they can tilt out of alignment, creating an avalanche of issues like:

• Difficulty biting and chewing food
• Crooked teeth
• Joint pain
• Jaw bone shrinkage
• Alterations to appearance

However, by permanently affixing the crowns in place to support the bridge, some of these issues will be prevented.

How to Fit Dental Crowns

Whether fitting a crown protects a broken tooth or is part of a bridge, the natural teeth need alternating so that the crowns fit properly. Changing the teeth involves one of our dentists in El Dorado Hills, CA trimming the length and width of the natural teeth.

The dental crowns are cemented in place, so it’s a permanent part of your teeth. It also closes the gap between your teeth, and you’ll have a beautiful smile once again.