Fillings, crowns, & bridges in Hudson Valley

Why a Tooth Filling?

A filling is what your dentist places in your cavity after removing the decay. It restores your tooth’s strength, shape and functionality. Fillings also prevent further decay by closing the hole so bacteria can’t become trapped where it’s impossible for you to reach with your toothbrush.

What Are Dental Caps and Dental Bridges?

Crowns are hollowed out prosthetic teeth cemented directly onto your natural tooth once your dentist removes a small portion of your enamel. A crown covers a misshapen, badly stained or damaged tooth. Dentists also use crowns to fortify a tooth after you’ve had a root canal. Bridges are prosthetic devices which replace a missing tooth. Bridges have an artificial tooth attached to two crowns. The crowns go over the teeth on either side of the gap to hold the bridge in place.

Which Dentists Have Experience with Restorations?

General dentists have the most experience with fillings, crowns and bridges. If you need restoration work done, please contact our practice to schedule an appointment. We look forward to serving you.

What Is the Average Filling, Crown or Dental Bridge Cost?

Your tooth filling cost and dental crown cost depend on the material quality you select, along with the level of complication placing your restoration. Your bridge cost typically depends on which material you select, the placement and whether your bridge will have one or two artificial teeth. Please call our office for an appointment and your dentist will talk to you about your cost after determining your unique needs.

Do I Have a Choice of Dental Fillings?

You can choose from natural-looking filling materials or metal fillings. Silver amalgam is the most popular filling material. It is strong and your filling can last for up to 15 years. White composite fillings are also popular since they are less noticeable than silver-colored fillings. You can also select a gold or porcelain filling if aesthetics are a major concern. Gold and porcelain fillings are custom made for you by a dental lab so it will take two appointments to have one of these filling materials placed. If you have a cavity, call our dental practice today to schedule your appointment.

Do I Have a Choice of Crowns for Teeth?

For front teeth, our patients often prefer all-porcelain crowns as they have the translucency of tooth enamel. A porcelain tooth crown can chip if exposed to chewing forces so our dentist often suggests porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns which have the beauty of porcelain and the strength of metal for back teeth. Gold alloy crowns are the strongest, longest lasting option; however, many of our patients only consider gold crowns for back teeth.

Are There Other Types of Bridges?

While most of our patients get a tradition bridge with a crown on either side, there are other types of bridges. When there is only one healthy tooth to hold a bridge for a missing front tooth, our dentist may recommend a cantilever bridge. You can also have an implant-supported bridge which does not require any teeth for support. If you’re interested in a bridge to replace a missing tooth or several adjacent missing teeth, please call our office and request a consultation. Our dentist can help you pick out the bridge which is best for you.

What Is the Process for Getting a Crown?

Getting a crown will take two appointments with our dentist. During your first visit, your dentist will numb your tooth and then shave off a small bit of the enamel to make room for the crown. Next, he or she will make a mold of the area for the dental lab fabricating the crown. You’ll wear a temporary crown until your next visit to protect the tooth. Once your dentist relieves your permanent crown, you’ll return to have the temporary crown taken off and the new one cemented onto your tooth.

What Is the Process to Get a Tooth Bridge?

Having a bridge put on also takes two visits. When you have your first appointment, your dentist will prepare the abutment teeth for crowns. Since he or she will numb the area first, this does not hurt. Your dentist will also take a mold of the teeth for the dental lab so they can create a natural-looking bridge for you. We will give you a temporary bridge to wear to protect your tooth until your new crowns and bridge are ready. When you return, your dentist will remove the temporary bridge and replace it with your new, custom crowns and bridge containing the replacement teeth.

Call today or book an appointment online.