Dental Crowns and Bridges in West Bloomfield, MI

Most crowns last ten to fifteen years or longer with good hygiene. Grinding, hard foods, and decay at the margin are what shorten that.

A filling repairs a small area of damage. A crown is used when so much tooth structure is gone that a filling would not hold or the tooth could crack.

A bridge is faster and does not require surgery, but it means shaping the healthy teeth either side. A single tooth implant leaves them untouched. Your dentist will compare both for your specific gap.

The tooth is numbed for the preparation and most patients feel only pressure. Some sensitivity while the temporary is on is normal and settles once the final crown is fitted.

Most of what we place is all ceramic, because it reflects light the way enamel does and there is no metal edge to show at the gum line as tissue recedes over the years. Stronger ceramics such as zirconia are used further back where chewing force is highest, and metal backed options still have a place in specific cases. Your dentist chooses based on which tooth it is, how you bite, and how visible it is, and explains the tradeoff rather than defaulting to one material for everything.

This is the habit that decides whether a bridge lasts. A bridge is joined across the gap, so ordinary flossing cannot pass between the units. You thread floss underneath with a floss threader or a superfloss strand, or use a small interdental brush or a water flosser aimed along the underside. We show you on your own bridge at the fit appointment, because gum inflammation under the span is the most common reason a good bridge starts to fail.

Call us and keep the crown. A crown that has come off cleanly can often be recemented, and the tooth underneath is exposed and sensitive until it is back on. Do not glue it yourself, because household adhesives are not removable and can end up costing you the tooth rather than the crown. If it happened outside office hours or it is painful, treat it as emergency dental care and call as soon as we open.

That is the point of taking the shade in the chair rather than from a chart. Natural teeth are rarely one flat color: they are lighter at the biting edge, warmer near the gum, and slightly translucent at the tip, and a good ceramic crown copies all three. We check the finished crown against your own teeth in daylight before it is cemented, and if the match is not right it goes back rather than getting fitted anyway. A crown at the front of your smile is planned more carefully than one at the back for exactly this reason.

Most major PPO plans cover part of a crown or a bridge. We verify your benefits before your visit, so you know your share before we begin. The quickest way to get a real answer for your own case is a short conversation. Call us at (248) 863-9109 or book online.