Dental Crowns & Bridges in Goffstown, NH

At Glen Lake Dental, we love helping our patients achieve healthy smiles, and sometimes that means restoring broken, damaged, or missing teeth. Dr. Danielle Leonardi designs beautiful, natural-looking dental crowns and bridges that give you back your beautiful smile.

It is always a good idea to repair broken teeth or replace missing teeth as soon as possible. Each has a specific job to do, and if one is compromised, it's common to experience other oral health issues as well. Dr. Danielle Leonardi is an experienced dentist in Goffstown who customizes beautiful, natural-looking dental crowns that look so real no one will know you've had any work done.

What Does a Dental Crown Do?

When a filling isn't sufficient to protect a broken, cracked, or decayed tooth, Dr. Leonardi would recommend placing a crown on it. A dental crown is a tooth-shaped porcelain jacket that we customize to fit over the damaged tooth. 

Placing a dental crown over the tooth protects the remaining tooth structure and absorbs chewing forces to prevent further damage to it, like cracks and fractures.

When Do You Recommend a Dental Crown in Goffstown, NH?

Since dental crowns are designed to sit on top of a tooth and protect it, we use them when:

• Tooth decay is too extensive for a filling.
• You've had a root canal, and we need to further protect the tooth.
• We need to restore function to a dental implant.
• As part of bridgework to replace missing teeth.
• We need to conceal a discolored or misshapen tooth.

Getting a crown requires two visits to our Goffstown dental office. The first involves reshaping the crown tooth, taking impressions, and selecting a shade of white for your new restoration that matches the surrounding teeth. Before you leave, we create a temporary crown to wear while your final crown is being fabricated.

You will return to our office when the crown is ready, and Dr. Leonardi will remove the temporary, adjust the final restoration for fit, and cement it securely in place.

Your dental crown will not decay but remember that the tooth beneath it still can. Brush twice a day, floss once, and visit us for routine exams and cleanings, and your crown can last ten years or longer.

How Does a Dental Bridge Work?

We offer several options to replace missing teeth, and bridges continue to be a reliable choice. If you don't want a partial denture or aren't ready to commit to a dental implant, a bridge can fill the gap in your smile with an artificial tooth called a pontic.

To anchor the pontic in place, we attach a dental crown on either side and place them securely on adjacent teeth. Like all our tooth restorations, your dental bridge will blend in with surrounding teeth, allowing you to eat and chew comfortably and smile confidently.

Getting a dental crown is similar to the process of placing a dental crown. Dr. Leonardi prepares the anchor teeth, takes impressions, and prepares a temporary. It takes two to three weeks for a custom dental lab to fabricate the bridgework, and then we will schedule an appointment to adjust it and cement it in place.

What Types of Crowns and Bridges Are Available?

At Glen Lake Dental, Dr. Leonardi may recommend different types of crowns to suit your smile:

• Ceramic Porcelain: This is one of the most aesthetic materials we use that we can customize to seamlessly blend with your smile. 
• Porcelain Fused to Metal: Dr. Leonardi might recommend this type of crown for teeth that take more of the brunt of chewing forces since the metal strengthens the porcelain crown. 
• Metal Alloys: Gold is one of the most durable materials for crowns and is the best for molars at the back of your mouth that work hard to chew your food. 

Bridges are typically made of ceramic porcelain that is durable and complements your smile. 

Crowns vs. Bridges: Which Procedure Is Right for Me?

Dr. Leonardi can assess your needs during an evaluation. She'll recommend a dental crown for repairing one tooth, while a bridge replaces one or multiple adjacent missing teeth. During your evaluation, Dr. Leonardi will review the treatment process with you, and discuss timeframes for the length of your treatment, as well as determine the cost. 

Schedule an Appointment at Glen Lake Dental

Dr. Danielle Leonardi places beautiful dental crowns and bridges for patients in the communities of Goffstown, Manchester, New Boston, and surrounding areas. If you have a broken, decayed, or missing tooth, call us today to schedule an appointment so we can see how we can best help you.