Teeth rarely fracture in a perfectly predictable way. Sometimes a break is too big for a filling, but not big enough for a crown. Porcelain onlays provide an excellent solution for teeth that need extra reinforcement without being covered entirely. Bonded into a place, they provide years of natural feel, function, and esthetics.

Whenever you cruise across a bridge over the water, you're being supported by the same principles that hold a dental bridge. Critical stabilization on each side helps bear the load, year after year. Teeth on either side of a space support a replacement tooth engineered from durable materials and glued into place. While this often serves for many years, the load-bearing teeth may deteriorate after thousands of chewing cycles. In some cases, this leads to more missing teeth.

A Better Bridge

In many cases, adding dental implants offer a better alternative, eliminating stress from the chewing system. When carefully placed in the bone of empty spaces, they mimic the roots of teeth. They bear the load that the natural teeth used to hold, sparing the neighboring teeth from excessive forces. In some cases, two implants may be used to build a bridge spanning from one solid titanium piece to another.

Although the planning becomes more complicated with larger spaces, Dr. Reed knows how to bring the puzzle pieces together to fit any scenario. Regardless of the scope of your treatment, the steps are similar to deliver a functional, brilliant smile.