ServicesCrowns & Bridges
Crowns & Bridges in Shrewsbury
When a tooth is too cracked or too filled to hold up on its own, a crown restores its shape and strength. When a tooth is missing, a bridge fills the gap. The same dentist and assistant who prepare your tooth are the ones who seat the final restoration.
What a crown or bridge actually does
A crown is a cap that covers the entire visible part of a tooth, from the chewing surface down to the gumline. It holds a weakened tooth together so biting forces spread across the whole cap instead of prying at a crack or the thin walls left around a large filling. We usually recommend one when a filling would replace more than about half the tooth's width, after a root canal, or when a crack runs below the enamel.
A bridge replaces one or more missing teeth. Crowns go on the teeth on either side of the gap, called abutments, and a false tooth, called a pontic, is joined between them as one solid piece. That keeps neighboring teeth from tipping into the space and the opposite tooth from drifting down.
We are a small office, so the dentist who takes your first x-ray is the one who shapes the tooth, checks the lab work and adjusts your bite at the end. Nothing gets lost between hand-offs.
What your crown or bridge treatment includes
Exam and x-rays
We look at the root, the bone around it and any decay under old fillings before recommending anything. If a filling will do the job, we tell you so.
Core buildup when needed
If decay or a fracture has taken away a lot of tooth, we first rebuild the inner core with a tooth-colored filling material that adheres to what remains. A crown is only as stable as the foundation under it.
Precise impressions and shade matching
We record the prepared tooth, the opposing teeth and your bite so the lab can build the crown to fit. Shade is matched in natural light against your neighboring teeth.
A temporary crown
You leave the prep visit with a temporary that protects the tooth, keeps it from shifting and lets you chew carefully while the final piece is made.
Fitting, bite adjustment and cementation
Before cementing, we check the margins where crown meets tooth, the contacts with neighboring teeth and the bite with marking paper. Small high spots get polished down so the tooth does not feel tall.
Material options explained
Zirconia, lithium disilicate ceramic, porcelain fused to metal and gold each behave differently under chewing force. We explain which suits the tooth's position and your bite.
When a crown or bridge may be the answer
A twinge as you let go of a bite
A brief sharp pain when you release something chewy often comes from a crack flexing apart. Covering the tooth with a crown keeps the pieces together before the crack travels toward the root.
An old, oversized filling that keeps chipping
Large amalgam or composite fillings leave only thin tooth walls, and those walls eventually break. Each new filling tends to take away more of the tooth.
A tooth treated with a root canal
Back teeth that have had a root canal turn more brittle. A crown guards them against splitting when you chew.
Teeth ground down flat
Grinding wears away the enamel and exposes the softer dentin, which wears down more quickly and can turn sensitive.
An empty space from a lost tooth
Neighboring teeth slowly lean into a gap, and the tooth above or below can drift toward it. A bridge keeps them where they belong.
A crown with a dark edge or a bad taste
A gray line along the gum or an odor that won't go away can mean decay has begun under the crown's margin, and the crown should be replaced.
How crown and bridge visits work
- 1
Consultation and diagnosis
We take x-rays, test the tooth, and talk through whether a crown, a bridge or a simpler option fits. You get a written treatment plan before any work starts.
- 2
Preparation visit
After numbing the area, we reshape the tooth to make room for the crown material, place any needed buildup, take impressions and fit your temporary. Most patients feel pressure and vibration, not pain.
- 3
Lab fabrication
A dental lab builds your crown or bridge from our impressions and shade notes. We inspect the piece when it arrives and send it back if the fit or color is off.
- 4
Seating visit
The same dentist removes the temporary, cleans the tooth and test-fits the final restoration. Once margins, contacts and bite check out, it is permanently cemented in place.
- 5
Bite check afterward
If anything feels high or catches once the numbness wears off, call to set a short visit and we will adjust it.
Why crown and bridge fees vary
The same tooth can carry a different fee depending on the material used and what we find beneath the old work. Each step appears as its own line on your treatment plan, and we review every line with you before booking anything. Most dental insurance plans are accepted here. Without coverage, you can ask about our Office Dental Plan for patients without insurance, and payments can be spread over time with the CareCredit Patient Payment Plan.
- Choice of material
- Lab fees differ for zirconia, lithium disilicate, porcelain fused to metal and gold. The right pick depends on the tooth's position and how hard you bite down on it.
- How many units
- A three-unit bridge counts as two crowns and one pontic, so it is billed as three pieces. Each extra tooth in a longer span adds a unit.
- State of the tooth
- Extra steps such as a core buildup, removing an existing crown or clearing decay discovered under an old filling each appear as separate items on your plan.
- What your plan pays
- Once your deductible is met, many plans cover a fixed percentage of crowns and bridges up to a yearly maximum. We can look up your benefits in advance so your share is clear before the prep appointment.
Common crown and bridge questions
Something not covered here? (508) 392-5698
Is a crown painful?
We numb the tooth completely before preparing it, so most people notice pressure, not pain. The gum around it may stay tender for a day or two afterward, and some teeth react a little to cold for a short while once the final crown is placed.
Why not just put in a new filling?
A filling relies on the surrounding tooth for its strength. If most of the tooth is already filling, adding more leaves walls too thin to hold up, and they often crack. A crown surrounds the whole tooth so it can't flex apart.
My temporary crown fell off. What now?
Keep the temporary and call us to book a short visit to reattach it. An uncovered tooth can move, and then the final crown won't fit well. Until then, chew on the opposite side and avoid sticky foods.
How do I keep a bridge clean?
Because the pontic and crowns are joined, ordinary floss can't pass between them. Thread floss under the pontic with a floss threader, or use a water flosser. We show you both when the bridge is seated.
Will the crown blend in with my teeth?
We choose the shade by comparing it with the teeth next to it. Crown material holds its color and won't lighten with bleaching, so if teeth whitening is on your list, do it first, let the shade settle for a couple of weeks, and we will match the crown to your whiter teeth.
How many years will a crown hold up?
Mostly it comes down to grinding, how clean the margins stay and the health of the tooth beneath. Routine exams and cleanings help us catch wear or decay at the edge early, when the fix is still simple.
Have a cracked or missing tooth checked
Give us a call, describe which tooth broke or aches, and we will schedule an exam with x-rays. You leave with a written treatment plan and the names of the people who will do the work.