Improve your smile today – call to schedule a consultation!

Dental Crowns & Bridges in Dillon, CO

Crowns and bridges are important and effective dental restorations. Damaged or missing teeth can cause serious discomfort when chewing and may even make it difficult to speak properly. Missing teeth also detract from your appearance and can make you feel self-conscious. Depending on your situation, crowns or a bridge may be the best solution to give you back a whole and healthy smile.

At Summit Dental Group, our goal is to provide our patients with the highest quality dental care available. Drs. Mitchell and Schneider use their extensive experience and training to create durable, natural-looking dental restorations. We take pride in our ability to create crowns and bridges that will return your teeth to their full function and give you a smile you can be proud of.

Dental Crowns in Summit County

Close up of a dental crown in Summit County, CO Crowns are used to strengthen and support teeth that are broken or damaged by decay. A crown, also called a “cap,” is an artificial tooth that is placed over a damaged tooth to fully encase and protect it. A crown serves as a protective cover that restores your ability to chew and speak normally. For example, crowns are often used after root canal treatment to strengthen the natural tooth and protect it from further damage.

For many years, crowns were made of metal, making them very obvious. More recently, crowns were created using a ceramic casing over a metal liner. They were a great improvement over all-metal crowns, but still allowed a line of metal to show through at the gum line.

Fortunately, advances in dental materials and technology now allow us to place beautiful, natural-looking all-porcelain crowns. Porcelain is a perfect material for crowns because it is durable and looks very similar to natural dental enamel, blending beautifully with your own teeth.

Dental Bridges

A dental bridge is a restoration used to replace one or several missing teeth. A bridge is made up of several crowns and is used to fill the gap left by a missing tooth or missing teeth. The bridge is then attached to neighboring natural teeth using crowns that stabilize the restoration. Drs. Mitchell and Schneider may also recommend placement of a dental implant to provide further support for the bridge depending on your needs. Close up of a dental bridge in Summit County, CO

Whether you are having a crown or bridge placed, the preparation process is basically the same. First, Drs. Mitchell and Schneider will evaluate your oral health so they can decide which type of restoration is most appropriate. We then take impressions that are sent to a top dental lab, where your restoration will be custom-crafted. When you return for your next visit, we adjust the restoration if necessary to ensure a perfect fit and a fully-functioning tooth.

Caring for Restorations

Porcelain restorations are very durable, and with proper care can last for many years. But it is important to remember that, like your natural teeth, they may become damaged and need to be replaced. Keeping up with your regular dental exams allows Drs. Mitchell and Schneider to make sure your restoration remains in good condition. We do offer 24/7 dental emergency care, so please don’t hesitate to contact our office immediately if your crown becomes damaged or falls out.

Call Our Office to Arrange a Consultation in Dillon

The professional team at Summit Dental Group is committed to helping you maintain great oral health and a beautiful smile you can be proud of. Please contact our office so that we can help you accomplish your goal of a whole and healthy smile.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do crowns last?

Everyone is different when it comes to the life span of their dental work. Since individual biology and behavior vary, it is difficult to say precisely how long a dental crown will last. After we’ve had a chance to examine your teeth, though, we can usually give you a fairly close estimate.

Improvements in Technology

We’ve seen dramatic improvements in the last ten years in dental materials and technology used to create and place dental crowns. But the life of your crown has a lot to do with your own oral hygiene and behavior, which can significantly impact how long your crown will last. Some things that can affect this are a strong dental bite, gum disease, and excessive force on your teeth due to grinding and clenching.

Standard Expectations

In general, if you are healthy and follow practice proper oral hygiene, your crowns can be expected to last for about 15 years. If you are really diligent about your overall oral health care, your crowns could last a lifetime.

As part of your regular checkups, Drs. Mitchell and Schneider will examine your crowns for signs of weakness or damage and address any of these problems to prevent your crowns from breaking or coming loose.

We’ve placed many crowns over the years with great results. This experience helps to ensure that your crowns last for as long as possible, especially if you return to our office for your regular dental exams and cleanings.

My crown fell out! What should I do?

Dental emergencies like a lost or damaged crown always cause stress, so it’s good to know that someone at Summit Dental Group is standing by to help you. A crown that has fallen out may or may not be an emergency, but you can always call us, and we can help decide if you need immediate treatment.

The Effects of a Broken Crown

A lost crown is a problem because it can be painful but without the crown to protect it, the tooth can also weaken, making it more susceptible to further damage. It’s important to handle a loose crown carefully, because there’s a good chance that all we need to do is cement it back into place.

Whatever you do, do not use store-bought dental cement as you may end up doing additional damage to the tooth or crown. Do keep the crown wrapped in tissue and in a safe place so that it does not get damaged.

First Steps in Fixing a Broken Crown

We can’t tell you if a lost crown is an emergency or not until we speak to you and assess the information you give us. The first step is to contact our Dillon dental office. If it’s after-hours, you can call and leave a message, and someone will get back to you as quickly as possible.

What is a dental bridge used for?

Dental Bridges Are A Solution

Dental bridges are used as a solution for filling the space left by a missing tooth. Bridges resolve the cosmetic problem and also restore function because they allow you to chew and speak normally.

Having a dental bridge placed at our Summit dental office requires two to three visits to complete. Drs. Mitchell and Schneider are highly-skilled in creating beautiful bridges that fit your mouth perfectly and look completely natural.

What is a Dental Bridge?

A bridge is a unit made up of three or more pieces consisting of an artificial tooth that has a dental crown on either side. These crowns will be attached to adjacent teeth to support and stabilize the bridge.

How Are Dental Bridges Placed?

Once we decide that a dental bridge is the best choice for you, we start by preparing the teeth where the crowns will be placed. Next, we take an impression that will be used to create a mold. Then we send the mold to a dental lab where your finished crown is created.

We do offer other options to replace missing teeth such as partial dentures and dental implant restorations. Replacing missing teeth is important for your oral health, and we will be happy to discuss your options and which will work best for you.

Does getting a crown hurt?

Your Experience is Our Priority

At Summit Dental Group, we practice painless dentistry because we want to do everything to keep you as comfortable as possible. Having a dental crown placed does not hurt when it’s done by skilled professionals like Drs. Mitchell and Schneider.

The Process of Getting a Crown

The process of getting a new crown is really not that complicated. It does take a few visits to our office, but that is because your crown is carefully created at a dental lab, so we have to wait for this part to be completed.

When we prepare your tooth during the first appointment, we will numb the area so that you don’t feel anything. After that first visit, there usually is no need to use any anesthetic, but we certainly can if you are very sensitive.

Once the finished crown is placed, you will probably experience an odd sensation at first. This is only because the crown is a new fixture in your mouth, and it may take a day or two to get used to the feel of it.

Our doctors are very gentle and sensitive to your needs, and we will do everything to make sure you are comfortable throughout the process. If you would like more information about dental crowns and how they work, please give us a call!

Why is it important to replace missing teeth?

The Effect of Missing Teeth

The biggest concern associated with missing teeth is tooth alignment problems. One or more missing teeth allow surrounding teeth to shift into the empty space, creating a domino effect that results in alignment issues and difficulties with your dental bite.

These problems can potentially lead to premature wear, teeth grinding, and chipped or fractured teeth. Replacing missing teeth is also important because all your teeth are designed to work together to allow you to chew and speak properly. Missing teeth look unattractive the loss of even one tooth can make these basic functions difficult.

Tooth Replacement Options

Tooth replacement options like dental bridges and dental implants are effective because they not only prevent teeth from shifting, but they also restore functionality, allowing you to chew and speak normally. In addition, they provide a cosmetic solution by filling the gaps left by missing teeth.

It is important for you to have teeth that allow you to speak and chew normally, but missing teeth also detract from your self-confidence. If you have questions about the solution that is best for you, please contact us, we will be more than happy to answer your questions and discuss your options.

Meet Our Doctor:

Dr. Steven Mitchell DDS

Dr. Mitchell attended Florida State University and the University of Notre Dame for his undergraduate education and obtained his dental training at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and the University of Memphis. He also has extensive postgraduate education, specifically selecting courses focusing on oral surgery and dental implants.

His most recent training in full-mouth rehabilitation allows him to provide smile makeovers to his patients for confident, healthy, beautiful smiles. His commitment to lifelong education means he is constantly evaluating emerging dental methods and technologies in order to provide his ...