Crowns and bridges restore your teeth in a multitude of ways. We want to help you find your perfect fix.

Couple smiling with their new dental crowns in Glenmont, NY

Do You Need a Durable Dental Crown in One Day?

Crowns & Bridges in Glenmont, NY

At our Glenmont dental office, your healthy smile is our first priority. But we also know how important it is for you to feel good about your smile and to know you are presenting a friendly, confident appearance to others. That’s why we offer solutions like attractive, durable dental crowns that restore the health of your smile and enhance your appearance.

A dental crown is a restoration that fits over a damaged tooth and strengthens and protects it from further damage. Damaged teeth aren’t just unattractive – they make it difficult to eat and speak comfortably. A dental crown serves the important purpose of restoring your tooth to its full function and eliminating these uncomfortable problems. Since you essentially have a "new" tooth, a crown also allows you to smile with confidence again.

Why Do I Need a Crown?

We would suggest the placement of a dental crown for any one of a number of reasons. In most cases, we use crowns to restore function to a damaged tooth. Because crowns enclose the entire tooth, so they can also be used for esthetic purposes.

Here are some instances where a crown may be an effective solution:

Repairing a tooth severely damaged by decay that cannot be repaired with a filling.
Strengthening a tooth after a root canal
Protecting a large amalgam filling from fracturing
Improving the shape of uneven teeth
Fixing gaps between teeth
Correcting the appearance of severely stained teeth

What’s Involved With Getting a Crown?

During your first appointment, Dr. Henry will start by altering the shape of your natural tooth to accommodate your new crown. Next, we’ll make a mold using an impression of the prepared tooth. The mold will then be sent to a dental lab where your customized crown is created.

Before you leave, we’ll provide you with a temporary crown that you’ll wear for about two to three weeks while your permanent crown is being prepared. When we receive the finished crown, we’ll have you return. We’ll adjust the crown for a customized fit, then cement it onto your tooth. Dental crowns cost more than a filling, and this is because the process requires more time, more steps, more materials, and the involvement of a dental lab.

Do You Offer Same-Day Dental Crowns?

Yes, for molars and premolars, our dental practice has a convenient and reliable same-day dental crown option. We use 3-D technology to scan the size and shape of the tooth and upload it into our software. Your crown will be milled out of durable ceramic and shade to match your natural teeth. Same-day crowns forego the need for temporary crowns and an additional trip to the dental office for a final crown-fitting.

At Bethlehem Town Family Dental, we believe in shared decision-making. We’ll present the reasons why a crown is needed, the benefits, and what’s involved. Then we’ll answer your questions and help you decide on the direction of your treatment. Our responsibility is to make you aware of your options, but we fully respect your decision.

crowns ravena ny | bridges glenmont ny

Dental Bridges to Replace Missing Teeth

A dental bridge is a fixed prosthetic where we connect a series of teeth together to replace missing teeth in between the connected teeth. The use of dental bridges has more recently been replaced by the advancement of dental implants if the patient is healthy enough and wants a longer-lasting solution to missing teeth.

In most situations, a dental implant is preferred over a bridge because of many disadvantages with bridges:

Teeth will be connected with a bridge, this means the fate of every tooth is connected. If one tooth has a problem, the whole bridge has a problem.
The bridge requires other teeth to be cut down significantly to be used as anchors.
The bridge is hard to maintain because you can't floss through it.

There are special circumstances where a bridge can be a better option when compared to a dental implant:

Some insurances will only cover a bridge and not an implant. Patients will sometimes choose the bridge due to having significant financial savings.
If the teeth next to the missing space already require crowns, doing a bridge will be a more efficient option to fix multiple issues.

If you have missing teeth, please come in for a consultation and we would be happy to go over your options with you for removable prosthesis, a bridge, or an implant.

Arrange an Appointment in Glenmont, NY

Dr. Henry has years of experience in placing beautiful, durable dental restorations. He continues to learn everything he can about the latest dental technology, materials, and procedures, so you can always expect to receive the highest quality dental care possible.

We welcome the opportunity to show you the difference that considerate care and attention to detail can make. Contact our Glenmont dental office for more information or to schedule a convenient consultation.

Frequently Asked Questions

I have a missing tooth, how do I replace it?

There are a few options to replace a tooth or multiple teeth:

Flippers or Partial Dentures

The most economical option would be to make a flipper to replace a few teeth or a partial denture to replace multiple teeth and areas. Flippers are usually used as a temporary solution while patient explores other options. Flippers will help greatly with the look by filling the missing space with denture teeth so it appears as if you are not missing a tooth. However, it's not meant for heavy chewing or grinding food.

Partial dentures are designed to replace teeth more permanently with stronger retention and better fit. The denture will grab onto teeth that are next to the missing space and fill the missing space with denture teeth. Partial dentures will be great for both the look and chewing food. Flipper and partial dentures are both removable so patient must remove them at night before sleep. Please visit our partial denture page for more information about the material selection.

Dental Bridges

Bridges have often been the most optimal choice in the past prior to implants. Bridges can be a good choice if you wish to replace 1 or 2 teeth, but as the bridge gets longer, the risk for problems can increase. The main problem with bridge is the requirement to cut teeth next to the missing space down to a smaller size so we can properly insert the bridge. If teeth next to the space already need crowns or have large fillings, this may indicate the use of a bridge.

However, if the teeth next to the space are healthy teeth that never had any dental work done, bridges will not be a great choice. Bridges are also hard to keep clean because it's a connected piece so cleaning under the bridge can be challenging. Bridges are a fixed option so it will stay in the mouth without having to take it in and out. There are multiple criteria we screen for prior to suggesting a bridge and we welcome you to come in for a consultation.

Implants

Implants have become the best option to replace a missing tooth or multiple missing teeth in the recent decade due to the advancement of implant technology. While implants can become very confusing and requires multiple steps, the end result is much better than any other options available at the moment. The treatment plan for implants will involve a surgeon (oral surgeon or periodontist) that places the titanium screw into the bone and after adequate healing we, will place the abutment and implant crown onto the implant screw. For details of how the implant procedure work, please visit our implant page for more information.

Implants can easily be cleaned and do not require us to cut an adjacent tooth. Once implants are completed it will feel like your own tooth and you don't have to worry about getting more cavities on this implant tooth. The set back for patients to receive this treatment has primarily due to cost. However, with payment plans such as Care Credit and insurance companies coverage, its popularity has continued to climb in the recent years. Please contact us to set up a consultation appointment as we are more than happy to continue this discussion. Implant is a fixed option so it will stay in the mouth without the need to take it in and out.

Why don't you offer same-day crowns?

The idea behind same day crowns is awesome and we are very excited about the concept behind this technology. However, there are major drawbacks based on the technology that is available today with same day crowns and we have outlined our concerns below:

Drawbacks to Same-Day Crown Technology

The technology behind same-day crowns is unable to effectively use the latest dental materials such as Zirconia. Zirconia material was recently introduced and have shown to have much stronger strength while maintaining good esthetics when compared to other dental materials. Due to its strength, we are also able to make it thinner so we don't have to cut down as much tooth structure. Zirconia material requires several hours of firing inside an oven to achieve its regular strength and esthetic. Unless you would like to camp and do a sleepover inside a dental office, it's not feasible to wait several hours.

The zirconia crowns that are fabricated under same-day crown technology had to find compromises to shorten the wait time. By reducing the firing time inside the oven significantly, Zirconia material will lose strength and/or esthetics. We can also choose other dental materials for same day crown, but they are not as strong as zirconia and require us to cut down more of your teeth.

We Won't Compromise on Your Dental Care

We have not adopted the same day crown technology because we do not want to compromise on the strength or esthetic of our crowns. This is why we use a dental laboratory, who specializes in digital dentistry, to make our crowns. They receive the scan we take from our intra-oral scanner, design the crown or bridge, and go through the necessary time it takes to fabricate the beautiful and strong crown or bridge, which could be several hours. This allows us to provide our patients with the best dental product available today.

Let us be clear that we love new technology and we are intrigued by the same day crown concept, but we refuse to compromise on our dental work for convenience. If a new technology emerges in the future that can utilize zirconia or other new dental material efficiently and effectively, we will be more than happy to acquire the technology.

Meet Our Doctor:

Dr. Henry Huangs and Dr. Fei Xu | Bethlehem Town Family Dental | Glenmont, NY

Henry Huang, DDS and Fei Xu, DDS

Dr. Henry and Dr. Fei are a husband-and-wife team, practicing together here at Bethlehem Town Family Dental. Dr. Henry Huang has attended Cornell University, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, where he graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree. Dr. Fei Xu has attended SUNY Binghamton University, she graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree. They went on to attend New York University, College of Dentistry, where they met and received their Doctor of Dental Surgery ...

Crowns & Bridges Smile Gallery

See the Smile Gallery

Featured Blog Posts - Crowns & Bridges

July 12, 2021

Is There Such a Thing as a Dental Crown Specialist?

girl who just got a dental crown in glenmont ny

A dental crown is one of the best ways to protect and restore a weak, decayed, or damaged tooth. Crowns can also conceal a discolored tooth, leaving you with a dazzling, white smile. Because dental crowns enclose the entire tooth, they protect the natural tooth’s structure, so you don’t ...

October 23, 2017

Saving Your Tooth in Three Steps: Dental Crowns

Your teeth are durable and designed to withstand a good deal of wear and tear. But they are not indestructible, and years of use, decay, neglect, and grinding habits can all lead to damage that is too severe to be resolved with a simple dental filling.

In this case, your dentist ...

January 12, 2017

Cosmetic Benefits of Dental Bridges

Your appearance is important – not just because of the way others see you but because of the way you see yourself. If your smile is healthy and attractive, smiling is a pleasure. If not, you probably want to hide your smile, and your confidence takes a nosedive.

Missing teeth are ...

Crowns & Bridges Technology

Tekscan®

Tekscan uses a digital sensor to detect a patient's bite sequence and force onto a computer program. This allows us to better diagnose occlusion (bite) issues caused by an uneven bite.

What Does Tekscan Do for You?

When your bite is even, the force across all of your teeth is also even. This can mean fewer jaw issues and less jaw pain, longer-lasting dentistry, and less sensitive teeth. An even bite helps prevent issues such as broken teeth, gum recession, and damage to your dentistry.

SEE OUR TECHNOLOGY

Dental Crowns and Bridges Replace and Repair Teeth