A smile is always incomplete when a tooth goes missing. Replacing a lost tooth is important as the other teeth tend to move and encroach the lost space thus causing misalignments. Removable options for replacing missing teeth are cumbersome and make it difficult for the patient to eat and speak. They also reduce the self-esteem of the patient and they become cautious about the dentures. Dental bridges and crowns are the solutions for all the issues of removable dentures. These bridges are fixed and are more comfortable than the conventional removable dentures.
The crowns are used for teeth after root canal treatment while bridges are a combination of crowns used to replace missing teeth.
The procedure involves reducing the size of the tooth to accommodate the artificial crown. An impression is made and sent to the lab for fabrication. In the next appointment, the crown is fixed using certain cement.

ADVANTAGES OF CROWNS:

• The bridges are fixed and appear more esthetic.
  It allows the patient to speak clearly like before
  It also helps patients to chew and eat with ease
  It prevents the tooth beside from drifting.
  

SETBACKS OF CROWNS:

• It requires reducing the size of the tooth that needs the crown and the adjacent teeth in cases of the bridge. The tooth should be intentionally root canal treated before the placement of the crown to avoid future complications.
• Care should be taken to maintain proper oral hygiene as bridges may become a hiding spot for microorganisms if not properly maintained causing decay.

The crowns and bridges are of various types based on the material used. The dentist will provide you with varied choices like metal, metal covered by tooth coloured material, and completely tooth coloured material. The shade of the tooth is very closely matched. So that they look more natural.