Crowns & Bridges

Bridges

Bridges are natural-looking dental appliances that can replace a section of missing teeth. At Cannon Family Dental in Johnson City, we customize your bridge to fit your smile. Because they 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.  Dr. Cannon enjoys seeing her patients smile.  Using a bridge can fill in that space that you may not be comfortable with in your smile. Bridges are sometimes referred to as fixed partial dentures, because they are semi-permanent and are bonded to existing teeth or implants. Some bridges are removable and can be cleaned by the wearer, others need to be removed by a dentist.

Porcelain, gold alloys or combinations of materials are usually used to make bridge appliances. Appliances called implant bridges are attached to an area below the gum tissue, or the bone.

Call our office today to learn more and schedule a consultation.

Crowns

Dr. Cannon uses crowns to make your smile even or to match teeth that may need a little more profile or color matching.  Crowns are synthetic caps, usually made of a material like porcelain, placed on the top of a tooth. Crowns are typically used to restore a tooth’s function and appearance following a restorative procedure such as a root canal.  This way we can save the largest part of the tooth, while not having to do a implant. 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.  Crowns are often used to help sports injuries or people that may have had a accident restore their smile back to normal.   Crowns are also used to attach bridges, cover implants, prevent a cracked tooth from becoming worse, or an existing filling is in jeopardy of becoming loose or dislocated. Crowns also serve an aesthetic use, and are applied when a discolored or stained tooth needs to be restored to its natural appearance. At Cannon Family Dental the staff can help you restore your smile in as little as one visit.

Call Dr Cannon today for your risk free consultation (423) 282-4004.

Procedures

A tooth must usually be reduced in size to accommodate a crown. An impression is made of the existing tooth and an impression is made. The impression is sent to our lab, which manufactures a custom-designed crown. In some cases, a temporary crown is applied until the permanent crown is ready. Permanent crowns are cemented in place.

Crowns are sometimes confused with veneers, but they are quite different. Veneers are typically applied only to relatively small areas.

Caring For Your Crowns

With proper care, a good quality crown could last up to eight years or longer. It is very important to floss in the area of the crown to avoid excess plaque or collection of debris around the restoration.  Regular checkups are recommended and should be done at every cleaning.

Certain behaviors such as jaw clenching or bruxism (teeth grinding) significantly shorten the life of a crown. Moreover, eating brittle foods, ice or hard candy can compromise the adhesion of the crown, or even damage the crown.