Dr. G. Gary Green provides crowns to repair and protect teeth damaged by trauma or injury from his comfortable and modern office in Caldwell, New Jersey. He also installs bridges to replace missing teeth. A dental crown is a prosthetic covering for a tooth that is too badly damaged or decayed to be treated with a regular filling. Crowns are shaped to look like natural teeth and can be made of gold or porcelain. When made of porcelain, crowns can also be tinted to match the shade of the teeth next to it. These types of crowns are popular due to their natural appearance. Crowns are attached to a patient’s tooth with a durable bonding adhesive and are supposed to be permanent fixtures. Crowns protect teeth from further damage as well as improve the appearance of the tooth if it has been broken, stained or chipped. Crowns are also often used with dental implants to replace missing teeth. There are four kinds of crowns: ceramic, porcelain fused to metal, gold alloys, and base metal alloys. Dr. Green also offers BruxZir® crowns, one of the newest innovations in crown and bridge dentistry. BruxZir crowns are all porcelain and virtually indestructible. Now you can have the great look of porcelain with the strength of a gold crown. Ceramic and porcelain fused to metal crowns are frequently used because of their natural appearance and durability. Porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns are made to look similar to a person’s original tooth and can be tinted to match the adjacent teeth. All-porcelain crowns provide the most natural looking results, but are slightly less strong than the porcelain fused to metal variety. Crown placement usually takes two visits. First, the tooth must be shaped to provide room for the crown. This process involves removing a small amount of the surface material of teeth so the crown can be placed without crowding neighboring teeth. Then an impression will be taken of the teeth and sent to a lab where the crowns will be made from the most advanced materials for long-lasting durability. A temporary crown will be crafted of resin and placed over the tooth to protect it while the permanent crown is being made. At the second visit, the temporary crown will be removed and the tooth will be carefully cleaned before the permanent crown is applied using a strong adhesive. Finally, the crown will be carefully buffed so it fits comfortably. A dental bridge does exactly what it sounds like, it bridges the gap between one or more missing teeth. A bridge is secured in place by anchoring it to two or more surrounding teeth. These teeth have been strengthened with crowns to make sure they can anchor the bridge without being damaged. These teeth are referred to as abutment teeth. A prosthetic tooth or teeth sit in between the abutment teeth. These are called pontics. Pontics can be made from porcelain, gold, alloys, or a combination of these materials. Bridges can also be held in place using dental implants. Not a moment of pain or discomfort. I am ever grateful to Dr. Green and his staff for creating the smile I only dreamed of. I’m so pleased I’m coming back to get the bottom teeth done, too. I’m so thrilled with my smile I can’t wait to have the others done. I am so happy with my teeth. They look completely natural. Throughout the process, Dr. Green was very friendly, very supportive, cheerful, professional and knowledgeable. "I’m so pleased I’m coming back to get the bottom teeth done, too. I’m so thrilled with my smile I can’t wait to have the others done. ""I’m very happy with the results – I have a nice, natural-looking smile. I’m shocked by how many people actually compliment me on what a beautiful smile I have. ""My teeth look completely natural. Throughout the process, Dr. Green was very friendly, very supportive, cheerful, professional and knowledgeable."