Crowns & Bridges

Porcelain Crowns

Dental crowns, also called caps, fit over worn or damaged teeth that are broken or cracked. Crowns are typically used to restore a tooth's function and appearance following a restorative procedure such as a root canal. When decay in a tooth has become so advanced that large portions of the tooth must be removed, crowns are often used to restore the tooth. They can also serve a cosmetic purpose, restoring a discolored tooth to its initial shape and white color. Dr. Ludwig will fit your teeth with temporary crowns to protect them while the permanent crowns are being made by his personal master ceramist lab technician. Porcelain crowns have the most natural look and are generally indistinguishable from natural teeth. Due to advancement in ceramics they are every bit as strong as metal crowns. Dr. Ludwig likes to use all porcelain EMAX crowns made out of lithium disilicate for his esthetic front crowns because they show the best translucency. For patients with very strong bites, Dr. Ludwig will use all porcelain zirconia crowns when extra strength is needed.

Porcelain Bridges

Dental bridges are designed to fill spaces between your existing teeth, and can serve as effective teeth replacements. Composed of a small row of artificial teeth, dental bridges look natural. In addition to giving your teeth a better appearance, they are also able to help improve chewing and speaking as they are built to last and can prevent surrounding teeth from moving and shifting.

Because bridges are custom-made, bridges are barely noticeable and can restore the natural contour of teeth as well as the proper bite relationship between upper and lower teeth.

Bridges are sometimes referred to as fixed partial dentures, because they are semi-permanent and are bonded to existing teeth or implants. There are several types of fixed dental bridges (cannot be removed), including conventional fixed bridges, cantilever bridges and resin-bonded bridges.  Unlike a removable bridge, which you can take out and clean, only your dentist can remove a fixed bridge.