Dental Bridges
Dental crowns are a common restorative dental procedure designed to protect and strengthen a damaged tooth. They can be made from various materials, such as tooth coloured porcelain, tooth coloured ceramic, or metal, depending on your specific needs.
Crowns are often used in cases where a tooth has suffered significant decay, trauma, or has undergone root canal treatment. By covering the entire visible portion of the tooth, crowns help restore its shape, size, and function, ensuring a natural appearance and enhancing the overall health of the dentition.
What is a Dental Bridge?
A dental bridge a fixed (non-removable) option to replace a missing tooth. In simple terms it is two crowns (shells of 1mm thickness) that are placed on adjacent teeth with a false tooth joined inbetween. These functional and esthetic dental treatments can replace one or more missing teeth. In some circumstances, the shells or crown on the adjacent teeth can be benefit if they have existing large fillings or root canal treatments.
Bridges at the Alberta Dental Fee Guide
Cost of Dental Bridges in Calgary
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3-Unit Bridge
Replaces 1 missing tooth
Porcelain Tooth Coloured+ Preparation
+ Digital Scan (no goop)
+ Lab Fabrication
+ Temporary Bridge
+ Includes Lab Fee
+ Includes Verification Image$3990 each (incl. lab)
Alberta Dental Fee Guide Codes: 67211; 67501; 99111 (lab) -
4-Unit Bridge
Replaces 2 missing teeth
Porcelain Tooth Coloured
+ Preparation
+ Digital Scan (no goop)
+ Lab Fabrication
+ Temporary Bridge
+ Includes Lab Fee
+ Includes Verification Image$4735 each (incl. lab)
Alberta Dental Fee Guide Codes: 67211; 67501; 99111 (lab) -
Temporary Bridge
Replaces 1 or 2 missin teeth
Tooth Coloured Acrylic
+ Design & template
+ Same day/Next day fabrication
+ No Preparation included
+ Short term (~8-12 mo)
+ Includes Lab Fee
$1440 each (incl. lab)
Alberta Dental Fee Guide Codes: 27121; 99111 (lab)
Adjunctive Dental Bridge Procedures
We have added this section for patients to read about adjunctive procedures that may need to be completed either before a crown can be placed or during preparation of a tooth for a crown. We believe in being transparent about the procedures we provide and the costs involved.
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If you are having a new or replacement crown on your front tooth, this may be an opportune time to whiten your teeth first.
Why? The newly fabricated crown will be made to match the existing adjunctive teeth. The colour of a fabricated dental crown can not be lightened or darkened once it has been cemented to your tooth.
However, there is always the option to replace a crown in the future should you make this decision later. We explain this as an option now to avoid having additional dental procedures in the future.
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If a tooth needs to be removed due severe decay, severe fracture, failing root canal treatment or infection, this must be completed as a separate procedure prior to placement of a new bridge.
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If the existing filling or core material has a space or dental decay, it should be replaced in order to prevent failure of the underlying structure which will remain under a crown. The filling material other than the outside 1mm will remain as a part of the tooth envelope.
While this is not needed in every case, it can sometimes be needed when either placing a new crown or replacing an existing crown.
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The existing crown on a tooth needs to be carefully removed by sectioning the existing crown prior to preparing the tooth for a new crown. This critical step requires time to avoid damaging the core of the tooth. This process can take about 15-30 minutes alone to complete.
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In some cases of severe tooth damage, additional retention may be desired by placing a very small post into a root canal treated tooth (adjacent to the missing tooth) in order to prevent failure of the crown and core.
Sometimes this can be done at the same time as the crown preparation while in other situations we may have the lab create the post and core.
Post and core procedures are not normally included with the Dental Crown fee.
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Reasons you may need a Dental Bridge
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Missing Tooth
The main reason that people have dental bridges are to replace one or more missing teeth. This can be for functional (chewing) or esthetic reasons or both.
In some cases, a bridge that replaces two missing teeth (side-by-side) can be a more economical option compared to the placement of two dental implants.
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Implant Failure
In rare circumstances, an existing dental implant can fail and replacement may not be a feasible or desired option. Alternatively, a dental implant can be a good choice to replace missing teeth where implants are not an option.
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Bone Concerns
Some sites of missing teeth may have insufficient bone (even with a bone graft) to have a dental implant placed. Some people have bone conditions that prevent them from having dental implants. Others would rather not have implant surgery to replace a missing tooth.
When Dental Bridges are an advantage over Dental Implants
Large Fillings or Root Canals on Adjacent Teeth
Our dentists will take the time to examine your teeth and determine whether your tooth would benefit from a crown. There are certain criteria that make a natural tooth receive the benefit from having a crown placed. In some cases where there is a smaller area of decay or fracture, a smaller filling can suffice. A certain amount of the tooth would have to receive damage in order to benefit from a crown.
Insufficient Bone at Missing Tooth Site
There are many options that can be considered instead of crowns such as composite fillings, porcelain inlays/onlays, porcelain veneers or composite veneers. It all depends on what the history of the tooth is, existing condition and the desired goals for the tooth (strength vs. esthetics).
Treatment process for Dental Bridges
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Preparation
In most cases, there is a large filling on the tooth (which we sometimes refer to as the “core”) and the intended crown is about 1mm thick.
Therefore, we need to remove from the surface about 1mm of existing filling and remaining natural structure in order to fit a crown.
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Digital Impression
In many cases, we can avoid a goopy impression in your mouth by having a video scan of the prepared tooth.
This is then either electronically sent to the lab or we can design in our clinic and mill a crown from porcelain on site.
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Cementation
Once the crown is made, we check the fit of the crown for fit, contacts with adjacent teeth and have you review the generated colour of the crown.
If it meets our clinical criteria, we cement or “glue” it onto your tooth.
Smile Design Services
Restoring your natural smile is something we offer with our Smile Design services.
Smile Design is a multi-diciplinary approach to dentistry where we address several factors to improve the health and esthetics of your front teeth.
A Smile Design Evaluation would take into account:
Alignment of the existing teeth (also known as orthodontics) → Invisalign Clear Aligners
Colour of existing teeth (teeth whitening) → take home or in-office Zoom! Whitening
Contour or shape of the existing teeth (prosthodontics) → crowns, veneers or fillings.
Replacement of missing teeth → dental implants, fixed bridges or remoavable dentures
Once we review these factors, we can blueprint a dental plan to give you the smile of your dreams.