You might know that it’s well past time to visit your dentist. Maybe you have some pain in your mouth, a chipped or cracked tooth, or perhaps you have a missing tooth or more. Without proper dental care throughout your life, thanks to highly processed foods, soda (pop), coffee, chocolate, alcohol, smoking, and much more … your teeth are going to take a beating.
It’s going to weaken those teeth over time and at some point you may have to decide between getting the best dental work and cutting corners. Depending on your finances or insurance options you might have taken on, you could be eligible for the ideal work, or you may have to go with ‘good enough.’
Still, you should know what the difference is between caps, bridges, and dentures.
Caps
If you have a chipped or cracked tooth, the goal for any quality dentist is going to be to try and save that tooth. If that can’t be done, then they might file back a certain amount of it (the enamel) to make room for a cap.
A cap is pretty much what it sounds like. It’s a cap, or covering, that goes over the tooth to protect it. It will match as closely as possible your existing teeth so no one would really know you have a cap (unless they look closely).
Bridges
If you have a missing tooth or a few missing teeth, you may want to consider a bridge. This is a device that will place false teeth into the spaces where they are missing. These bridges are connected to the teeth to either side of the space and that connection is not visible from the outside (it is attached to the back of your existing teeth). This creates a uniform look to your teeth, helping you smile more confidently once again.
Dentures
When you age, you may lose more of your teeth. When you reach a point where the majority of your teeth are gone, dentures will likely be the right option. These are completely false sets of teeth that affix to the gums with an adhesive. You’ll need to care for these dentures (and your oral health), but it’s a different process than brushing and flossing.
If you believe that you need a cap, bridge, or maybe even dentures but you’re not sure, contact The Dental Centre.