Dental Crowns and Bridges
When decay or tooth damage is extensive, a filling might not be enough. A crown may be needed to restore the tooth’s appearance and function while helping you avoid extraction.
For teeth that need more support than a filling but do not require a full crown, porcelain inlays and onlays offer an excellent middle-ground solution. These custom restorations are bonded directly to the tooth, strengthening damaged areas while preserving as much healthy tooth structure as possible. Crafted from durable, tooth-colored porcelain, they blend naturally with your smile and provide long-lasting protection.
Bridges can also be used to literally bridge the gap created by a missing tooth, restoring both your smile and your ability to chew comfortably.
At Smiles by Shields, we provide crowns, bridges, inlays, and onlays using aesthetic, biocompatible materials that are designed to restore both function and beauty while supporting your overall oral health.
Dental Crowns
Placing a traditional crown takes two visits.
At the first, Dr. Shields removes the decay, prepares the tooth, and fits a temporary resin crown over it. Models of your teeth are sent to a dental lab where they fabricate an exact copy of the top of your tooth – its crown. At your second appointment, we cement the permanent restoration to your prepared tooth, adjusting as needed so the bite is just right.
But we can also do crowns in a single visit with CEREC® technology.
CEREC technology allows us to create precise, custom restorations using a digital scan of your tooth rather than traditional impressions. Your crown is milled from a high-quality, biocompatible ceramic block right in our office, allowing Dr. Shields to check the fit, make any final refinements, polish the restoration, and bond it into place.
No second visit required!
Dental crowns look beautiful and natural, and help restore function and overall oral health. Most of our crowns are metal-free, biocompatible ceramic – a very strong, long-lasting material.
Bridges
A missing molar may not cause significant problems, but when other teeth are lost due to decay, accident, or injury, they need to be replaced. Otherwise, surrounding teeth will shift out of place and weaken over time.
Implants are one option for replacing missing teeth. Bridges are the other.
Like traditional crowns, bridges require two visits. At the first, Dr. Shields prepares the teeth on either side of the gap, which will anchor the bridge. A model of your teeth is then sent to the lab where the bridge will be made.
A fixed bridge – the more stable option – will then be cemented at the second visit. If you are getting a removable bridge – great for easy cleaning – Dr. Shields will place it and adjust the bite as needed for a perfectly comfortable fit.
Fixed bridges are all biocompatible ceramic, while removable bridges will have bits of metal, as well, or a flexible material to attach the bridge to the abutment teeth.
Either option provides a restored smile that looks completely natural.
Begin Your Journey
Every visit can feel calm, clear, and connected.
Schedule an appointment with a team that provides compassionate, biological dental care that nurtures both oral health and overall well-being.
Book Your Experience
Call the office or request an appointment, and we will help guide you to the right next step.