Fillings, Crowns & Bridges in Yorktown Heights

When Do Dentists Use Dental Fillings?

If one of your teeth has decay, it will eat a hole in your tooth, resulting in a cavity. Your dentist will remove the decay and fill the cavity with a substance of your choice, including silver amalgam, white composite, gold or porcelain. The filling insures that the decay will not be able to reach the inside of the tooth again.

What Is a Tooth Crown and a Tooth Bridge?

Crowns, also called dental caps, are fixed restorations which resemble a natural tooth. Dentists use crowns to fortify a tooth, cover a broken tooth or change the tooth’s color or shape. A tooth bridge is a false tooth affixed to two crowns which replaces a missing tooth. The crowns go over the two abutment teeth on either side of the gap which will support the bridge. If you’re considering a crown or a bridge, please call our office to schedule a consultation.

Which Type of Dentist Routinely Fills Cavities and Installs Crowns and Bridges?

Your neighborhood general dentist is skilled in restoring and replacing teeth with high-quality restorations. If you have a painful cavity or you’re interested in a crown or a bridge to replace a missing tooth, please call us to schedule an appointment with one of our general dentists.

How Much Does a Crown, Bridge or Tooth Filling Cost?

Crowns, bridges and fillings are custom restoration so our fees will vary. The material you select for your restoration plays a major role in the total cost. For example, when considering your dental crown cost, a porcelain-fused-to-metal crown is more affordable than an all-porcelain crown. Your dental bridge cost also depends on the material you select along with the number of teeth you’re replacing. If you are subscribed to a dental insurance plan, we can help you calculate your out-of-pocket expenses. Please contact us for an appointment and then your dentist can go over your options and their associated costs with you.

How Do I Choose a Tooth Filling Material?

If you need a tooth filled, please call us for an appointment. Your dentist will review your tooth filling options, which include silver-colored amalgam, white composite, porcelain and gold. He or she will explain each material’s appearance, strength, durability and cost and then help you find the right filling for you.

How Do I Choose a Tooth Crown?

If you contact our office for an appointment, our dentist can help you select a crown, taking into account your preferences for appearance and your budget. Porcelain crowns have the most pleasing appearance, but they are only suitable for front teeth. Porcelain-fused to-metal crowns are attractive and strong enough for any tooth. For molars, some patients prefer gold alloy crowns because they are strong and won’t chip or crack. They also last the longest of any crown.

How Do I Choose a Bridge?

A traditional bridge has at least one artificial tooth with a porcelain crown on each end. The crowns are for the abutment teeth on each side of the space left by the missing tooth. Sometimes, there is only one tooth available to hold the bridge, so your dentist will have to use a cantilever bridge. Cantilever bridges can replace front teeth, not back teeth. Your dentist will assist you with picking the option which is best for you.

How Do Dentists Place Crowns for Teeth?

During your first of two appointments, your dentist will give you a mild local anesthetic and shape your tooth for the crown. This involves taking off a small bit of your tooth’s enamel. Your dentist will also make a mold for the dental lab, allowing them to create a crown which blends in with your other teeth. To protect your tooth, your dentist will offer you a crown to wear. You’ll come back for your second appointment once the dental lab finishes your crown. Your dentist will take the temporary crown off and cement your new, custom crown in place.

How Do Dentists Place Dental Bridges?

During your first of two appointments, your dentist will prepare the abutment teeth for crowns. He or she will administer a local anesthetic and then remove some of the enamel off each tooth so the crowns can fit over them. Your dentist will also take the impression the dental lab needs to fabricate your crown. He or she will also fit you with a temporary bridge to protect the abutment teeth. On your second visit, your dentist will remove the temporary bridge and ensure your custom bridge fits well before he or she cements it in place.