Dental Crowns That Are Applied To Dental Implants
Posted on: 17 March 2022
Dental implants are supportive, foundational devices that replace the roots of lost teeth. Consequently, a dental implant alone is not sufficient for a complete tooth replacement. It is designed to support a dental prosthetic appliance that replaces one or more teeth. An implant must be covered by a crown to restore the functionality and appearance of a missing tooth.
After a dental provider positions a dental implant in the jawbone, bone cells grow around the device through a healing process called osseointegration. The integration takes place over the course of several months. However, once the process is complete, the implant is fully stabilized within the bone tissue.
A stable implant is suitable to serve as the support for a prosthetic dental crown. Here is a bit of information about dental crowns that can be applied to cover dental implants.
Single-Tooth Restoration Implant Crowns
To connect an implant to a dental crown for a single-tooth replacement, the dentist uses an abutment. The small connecting device is added to the implant during a separate procedure once the original implant wound has healed. The crown is subsequently attached to the abutment to hold it in place.
Dental crowns that are used in implant dentistry are often tooth-colored. Thus, they tend to be fashioned from white materials, such as porcelain, porcelain-fused-to-metal, zirconia, or resin. Nevertheless, crowns made of darker materials, such as gold or stainless steel, are still suitable to cover dental implants.
Fixed Bridge Crowns
Fixed dental bridges are secured in the mouth by their attachment to dental implants or abutment teeth. When an abutment tooth is not available, a bridge crown can be attached to an implant.
Sometimes, a dental implant may already be in place from a previous restoration when an adjacent tooth is lost. If the existing implant is already covered by a dental crown, the crown may be removed and the connector can be used to attach the implant to the bridge crown. In this instance, the false tooth or teeth of the bridge still rest at the gum line. The implant only serves as a support for the bridge crown. Nevertheless, the connection between the fixed bridge and the supporting implant holds the bridge firmly in place. Implants can support traditional and cantilever bridges.
If you have lost one or more teeth and are interested in learning more about dental crown implants, schedule a consultation with a dentist in your area.
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