Fillings, Crowns, & Bridges in Grapevine

What Are Tooth Fillings?

Tooth decay requires repair. A tooth filling involves taking out the decayed material and cleaning the area. The dentist then fills in the opening with a tooth-safe material like porcelain or gold. In some cases, you may need a temporary tooth filling before a permanent one can be placed. Dental fillings can improve the shape and appearance of decayed teeth. They can also alleviate pain and allow you to chew more effectively. Plus, fillings keep decay from continuing to spread.

What Are Crowns and Bridges for Teeth?

Crowns and bridges are prosthetic teeth that dentists use to replace missing or significantly damaged teeth. Once installed, these devices stay permanently in your mouth until removed by a dentist. High-bond dental cement holds them in place. Also called dental caps, crowns cover the remaining portion of your natural teeth. Bridges fill the gap left by missing teeth. The appliance consists of a pontic tooth—or a whole row of them. If the surrounding teeth are healthy enough, the bridge can be affixed to them. If not, dental implants can hold the tooth bridge in place.

What Dentist Should I See for a Crown, Bridge, or Filling?

Your local dentist offers crowns for teeth as well as bridge dental work and fillings. After your next exam, our dental team will let you know whether you’d benefit from dental bridge work or another restorative procedure. We will also be happy to answer your questions about what it’s like to get a bridge or how much a crown will cost. Of course, if you’d like to discuss your options for crown and bridge treatment sooner, you can set up an appointment to inquire about bridge work teeth services.

What Is the Price of Dental Crowns, Bridges, and Fillings?

The tooth filling cost can depend on how severe your decay is and where the affected tooth is located. The crown or dental bridge cost can also vary a good deal from one patient to another. Your cost for dental bridge work, for example, will depend on your personalized treatment plan. Factors that affect the final price will include the amount of preparation work that is required and the materials the dentist uses. Your dental filling cost may also depend on your insurance coverage. We will provide a customized estimate of your cavity filling cost, dental crown cost, or tooth crown cost before beginning any work.

Types of Fillings

We offer several dental filling types, including gold and silver amalgam. Patients looking for fillings that blend seamlessly with their natural teeth often prefer porcelain or tooth-colored composite fillings. Our dentists can recommend the best filling materials for your needs.

Types of Crowns

The type of crown you receive may depend on which tooth is being restored. For a front-tooth crown, it may be important for the tooth to look natural. A porcelain ceramic crown could be the best choice. A gold crown tooth may work well in the back of your mouth. Our dental team will discuss the advantages of gold or porcelain crowns with you.

Types of Dental Bridges

Dental bridge work is often done in stages, so you may receive a temporary dental bridge before your permanent dental bridge. Often, the permanent bridge is a row of pontic teeth that mount to dental crowns on both sides of your tooth gap. The pontics can also attach to implants. For a front teeth bridge, a cantilever may be a good alternative. A cantilever dental bridge can be used if you have healthy teeth on only one side of the gap.

Procedure for Getting a Dental Crown

Before your crown tooth procedure, your dentist will prepare the base of the tooth that will receive the crown. Taking an impression will allow the dentist to fabricate a custom-fit crown. You’ll get a temporary crown to use until the next step of the tooth crown procedure. At a later visit, your permanent cap will be placed. Expect to spend up to an hour at our office during each step of the crown procedure.

Procedure for Getting a Dental Bridge

Before getting a dental bridge, you will have an appointment to prepare the surrounding teeth and take impressions. Based on the impressions, we’ll craft a dental bridge and crowns that are just right for your mouth. Our team will send you home with a temporary bridge. When your new device is ready, we’ll bring you in for a second bridge dental appointment, during which we will place and adjust your permanent tooth bridge.