Crowns & Bridges

Mini dental implants are smaller in diameter than conventional implants.  Most traditional implants are 3.5 to 6 mm in diameter where as mini implants are less than 3 mm in diameter.  These smaller dental implants are great when used to stabilize or anchor a denture.  They are often used when the jaw bone has decreased in size over time and traditional implants cannot be placed without extensive bone grafting.  Due to their smaller size, these fixtures cannot take as much force and should not be used when replacing a single tooth or anchoring a dental bridge.  When possible, Dr. Brad Jordan prefers to use traditional implants.  

Partial dentures are an option to replace one or more missing teeth.  They have been used for decades after the removal of decayed, broken and loose teeth.    Replacing these missing teeth is beneficial for chewing, stabilizing your bite and appearance.  A partial denture is still a viable option and usually very affordable way to substitute your teeth.  

Other options to replace missing teeth are bridges and dental implants.  Dental bridges require the use of two solid teeth on either side of the empty space.  Bridges require no surgery to the bone or gums and can often be made within 1 month.  At Lone Oak Dental, we use newer materials which ensure that the bridge is strong yet beautiful.  

Implants can be used to replace one, two or multiple missing teeth.  The technology with these prostheses is very advanced and rapidly evolving giving us new options all the time.  Dr. Jordan prefers to replace teeth using dental implants as it does not require removing healthy tooth structure and there is no chance for decay.  In addition, most patients tell us that implants feel more natural than partials and bridges.  

Please contact our office today in Brookings if your partial is in need of replacement or your are considering other options.   

Dental fillings are often used to replace where a cavity once was.  Fillings repair the portion of the tooth that was damaged by the decay process.  When fillings become very large, the tooth is often weakened and may break.  The most often reason for a crown being recommended in our office is when a cusp, or point breaks off of a back tooth.  In short, when a crown is recommended by Dr. Jordan, it is when he anticipates that the remaining tooth left after the decay is removed will be weakened and likely to break.  In addition, when a back tooth has had root canal treatment, a crown is recommended to prevent the tooth from breaking.  

Breaking teeth can be painful, costly and frustrating.  When a patient comes to our office with multiple broken teeth, we examine several areas: tendency to clench and grind their teeth, size of previous fillings and how stable their bite is.  People that clench and grind their teeth can generate enormous amounts of force which can chip or crack teeth.  For those that clench or grind, we would recommend a splint to be worn at night or even during the day to reduce the amount of force put on your teeth.  Unfortunately, cavities and fillings weaken teeth.  When a dentist has to fix a cavity, the resulting tooth is more prone to breaking than if it had never had a cavity or filling.  Lastly, a stable and protected bite evens the chewing forces out among teeth.  If a tooth is taking more force than designed to, it is more likely to break.  Crossbites, missing teeth, excessive overbites and underbites increase your chances of broken teeth.  We believe that prevention is the best medicine and hoped you learned something from this FAQ!