Below is an edited easy to read format from a Sydney Morning Herald Article featuring Dr. Steven Stratis
Dental crowns and bridges restore oral health and can deliver a boost to confidence.
It is well documented that a beautiful smile can make a person look younger and feel more attractive, be perceived as healthier, and successful. It can boost self-confidence and self-esteem and make a real difference to lives.
The reverse may apply if teeth are crooked, discoloured, damaged – or missing – as well as potentially contributing to ill health, discomfort and difficulties with eating.
Crowns, bridges and dental implants have been able to transform the looks, even lives, of thousands of people concerned by aesthetic as well as oral health issues.
Expert dental surgeons can perform cosmetic dental treatments to replace lost or missing teeth with prosthetic teeth, a proven long-term solution for functionality and appearance.
“We offer patients the opportunity to restore their smile and enhance functionality with custom-made dental crowns,” says Dr Steven Stratis.
“Dental crowns are a custom-made restoration which fits over the prepared existing natural tooth and replaces the natural crown, which is the part of the tooth that is visible above the gums.
“They can be used for strength, durability and tooth stability, or for cosmetic reasons to enhance the appearance of a tooth.
“Crowns are often required when a tooth has been severely weakened and is no longer structurally sound, which can be as a result of trauma, tooth decay, previous root canal therapy or even general wear over time.
“This cosmetic dental treatment can also be used to brighten and improve the appearance of one’s smile by covering broken, chipped, stained or discoloured teeth or by modifying the shape of a tooth.”
A bridge replaces one or more missing teeth. It consists of an artificial tooth anchored to the adjacent natural teeth.
If a tooth is lost through an accident, or is too badly decayed to save with a crown, a bridge may be the treatment of choice.
Constructing a dental crown generally requires two appointments; the first to prepare the existing tooth to receive the crown, impressions are taken and a temporary crown is placed over the prepared tooth.
At the next visit, the new crown is adjusted and cemented into place, providing a more long-term natural looking aesthetic solution.
Another increasingly sought-after option to replace damaged or missing teeth are dental implants.
“Dental implants can be thought of as artificial roots that are securely anchored in the jaw,” says Dr Stratis.
“They are cylindrical devices made of medical grade titanium which are placed in the site of a missing tooth or teeth where they biologically bond with the bone and are capped with a ceramic crown that matches existing teeth.
“They are now widely used to:
• Replace a single tooth (or many single teeth using one implant per tooth) with a ceramic crown secured to the top of the implant to give the appearance and function of a natural tooth.
• Secure a full or partial implant supported ceramic fixed bridge.
• Retain removable dentures to prevent movement and dramatically improve the stability.”