My Family Dental Crowns and Bridges in Bohle Plains
Holding a damaged tooth together, rather than filling it again and hoping
Four materials
e.max, Zirconia, Gold and PFM
Digital impressions
Medit i700 scanner, no tray of putty
Two visits
Lab-made, with a temporary in between
Bridges too
Where a gap suits one
A crown covers a tooth completely and holds it together, which is what you need once there is not enough sound tooth left for a filling to be safe. At Bohle Plains that includes the teeth that have already been filled two or three times.
When a Filling Stops Being the Answer
A filling replaces what is missing and leans on the tooth around it. That works until the walls get thin. Then each bite acts like a wedge, and eventually one of them splits the tooth, often below the gum, which is where a repairable problem becomes an extraction.
A crown does the opposite: it wraps over the top and squeezes the tooth together. That is the whole reason to move from one to the other, and it is the honest test we apply. Where a filling will still do the job, we do a filling.
The Materials
We work in e.max, Zirconia, Gold and PFM, and the choice is not cosmetic preference, it is what the tooth is being asked to do.
- E.max. A pressed ceramic that handles light the way enamel does. The usual choice where the tooth shows.
- Zirconia. Very strong, which suits back teeth carrying heavy load, and it can be made thinner than you would expect.
- Gold. Unfashionable and still excellent. Kind to the tooth it bites against and extremely durable, where appearance is not the point.
- Porcelain fused to metal. A metal core for strength with porcelain over it.
Inlays and onlays sit between a filling and a crown, rebuilding part of the biting surface without covering the whole tooth. They are available here too.
Two Visits, and a Temporary in Between
The tooth is prepared and recorded, usually with our Medit i700 scanner rather than a tray of impression material, and a temporary crown goes on while the laboratory makes the real one. At the second visit the fit, the bite and the colour are checked before it is cemented.
The temporary is not as strong as the finished crown, so avoid anything hard or sticky on that side. If it comes off, keep it and ring us: it goes back on, and leaving the prepared tooth uncovered is what causes sensitivity.
Bridges
A bridge fills a gap by using the teeth either side as supports, with the replacement joined between them. It is fixed in place, which many people prefer to something removable.
The trade-off is real: those supporting teeth have to be prepared for crowns, so two healthy teeth get drawn into the problem. Where the neighbours are untouched, an implant usually leaves you better off, because it replaces the missing tooth without involving the ones that are fine. We will tell you which we think fits your case and why.
What Actually Shortens Their Life
Two things, and both are manageable. Grinding, which is why we look at your bite first and may suggest a night guard: there is more on our jaw pain page. And decay starting at the margin where the crown meets the tooth, which is a cleaning and check-up matter rather than a crown matter. The crown itself does not decay. The tooth underneath it still can.
Having It Done in Bohle Plains
Both Townsville clinics do this work, so use whichever is closer to you, and the follow-up is at the same place.
What It Costs
The fee depends on the material and on what the tooth needs first, including root canal treatment where the nerve is involved. You get a written quote after the examination, before anything starts. Crowns usually sit under major dental in a health fund policy, and we claim through HICAPS at the desk. Payment plans are available. This clinic also accepts Queensland Health vouchers.
My Family Dental Bohle Plains
2/1 Kalynda Pde, Bohle Plains QLD 4817
(07) 4735 8500
Important: The lifespan of a crown or bridge varies between individuals and depends on the bite, oral hygiene and the tooth beneath it. Any dental treatment carries risks. Suitability is assessed after an examination and fees are confirmed in a written quote. Seek advice appropriate to your circumstances from a qualified health practitioner.
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
It depends how much sound tooth is left. A filling replaces what is missing and relies on the tooth around it to hold everything together. Once the walls of the tooth are thin, or a cusp has already gone, another large filling is a wedge waiting to split the tooth. A crown wraps over the top and holds it together instead. If a filling will genuinely do, we will do a filling.
We use e.max, Zirconia, Gold and PFM. E.max is a pressed ceramic that looks like enamel and suits teeth that show. Zirconia is very strong and suits back teeth taking heavy load. Gold is still, quietly, the kindest material to the opposing tooth and lasts extremely well where appearance does not matter. Porcelain fused to metal sits between them. Which one we suggest depends on the tooth, the bite and where it is in your mouth.
No, and we would rather say so than have you plan around it. The crown is made by a laboratory from a scan or an impression, so it takes an appointment to prepare and record the tooth and another to fit it, with a temporary crown in between. The temporary is not as strong as the real thing, so go easy on it.
A way of filling a gap using the teeth either side of it as supports, with the replacement tooth joined between them. It is fixed, so it does not come out like a denture. The trade-off is that the supporting teeth have to be prepared for crowns, so healthy teeth get involved. Where the neighbouring teeth are untouched, an implant is often the better answer, and we will tell you when we think so.
It varies with the material, the bite and how well the edge is kept clean, and anyone quoting a number of years is guessing at your mouth. What shortens them is predictable: grinding, and decay starting at the gum-line margin. If you clench or grind, a night guard is usually part of the plan, and there is more on our jaw pain page.
It depends on the material and what needs doing to the tooth first, including whether it needs root canal treatment. You get a written quote after the examination and before anything starts. Crowns usually sit under major dental in a health fund policy, and we claim through HICAPS at the desk.
Ready to Book Your Visit?
Book a visit at your nearest My Family Dental clinic: we’ll talk through your options and what it costs.