Dental Crowns & Bridges in Lisle, IL

It depends on the type of crown. A traditional crown takes two visits about 2 to 3 weeks apart. At the first visit the tooth is prepared and impressions are taken, a temporary crown protects it while an outside lab builds the permanent one, and at the second visit that final crown is cemented into place.

There is a faster route for many patients. With our CEREC technology, a crown can be designed, milled, and permanently placed in a single appointment, with no temporary crown and no second visit. During your consultation we will tell you whether your tooth is a candidate for a same-day crown or is better suited to the traditional two-visit approach.

Getting a crown is a comfortable procedure for the large majority of patients. Before any work begins, the tooth and the area around it are thoroughly numbed with local anesthesia, so during the preparation you should feel mild pressure and vibration rather than pain.

After the numbness wears off, some patients notice a few days of slight sensitivity around the tooth, especially to hot or cold, which is normal as the tooth settles. It is easily managed with over-the-counter pain relief and typically fades within a week. If any sensitivity lingers or your bite feels high, a quick adjustment usually takes care of it.

Backed by good oral hygiene and regular dental visits, crowns and bridges usually last 10 to 15 years, and many go well past that mark. How many years you get out of a restoration comes down to a handful of factors:

• How consistently you brush, floss, and keep up professional cleanings
• The bite forces on the restoration and whether you grind or clench your teeth
• Your diet and habits, such as chewing ice or other very hard objects
• The health of the underlying tooth and gums that support it

Caring for crowns and bridges the same way you care for natural teeth, and keeping your regular checkups so we can catch small issues early, is the surest way to help them last as long as possible.

Yes. A crown is custom made to blend into your smile, and Drs. Brammeier and Ericson match the color, shape, size, and translucency of the crown to the teeth right around it. The goal is a restoration that no one, including you, can pick out as artificial.

Today's all-ceramic and zirconia crowns are especially lifelike because they reflect light much the way natural enamel does, rather than looking flat or opaque. On a front tooth in particular, a well-made crown is all but impossible to tell apart from the natural teeth beside it.

The main difference is how much of the tooth each one covers and why you would choose it. A crown wraps around the entire tooth like a cap and restores its full strength, so it is the right choice when a tooth is cracked, heavily decayed, or otherwise in need of significant structural repair.

A veneer is a thin shell bonded only to the front surface of a tooth, so it is used mainly for cosmetic improvements such as reshaping, closing small gaps, or covering stains on teeth that are otherwise healthy. Because a veneer removes far less tooth structure than a crown, the decision comes down to whether the tooth needs protection or simply a cosmetic upgrade. Drs. Brammeier and Ericson will examine the tooth and recommend whichever option best fits your needs.

Yes. A dental bridge is designed to fill a gap, and depending on how strong the anchoring teeth on either side are, a single bridge can replace one to three missing teeth in a row. The neighboring teeth carry the load, so the health and strength of those supports determines how long a span the bridge can safely cover.

When the gap is larger, or several teeth are missing in different areas, a traditional bridge may put too much stress on the anchoring teeth. In those cases implant-supported solutions often serve you better, since they anchor to the jawbone instead of leaning on natural teeth. We will help you weigh which approach fits your situation.

The cost of crowns and bridges shifts with the material you choose, the number of teeth involved, and whether other procedures such as a root canal or an extraction are needed first. Because every case is different, the only way to get an accurate figure is an exam, but most dental insurance plans do cover a portion of crown and bridge treatment as a restorative service.

At our Lisle office we provide a detailed written estimate before treatment begins and work directly with your insurance to maximize your benefits. For any remaining balance, our financing options offer flexible payment plans, so the cost of restoring your smile fits your budget.