A porcelain crown caps and protects a tooth weakened by decay, an accident or root canal treatment. A fixed bridge closes the gap a missing tooth leaves behind. Both are colour-matched to your natural teeth and fitted gently over two visits.
Whether it's a cap or a gap, you'll know each step — and its cost — before we begin.
A crown — or cap — fits over your existing natural tooth, replacing the natural crown that decay, an accident or root canal treatment has weakened.
We start by examining the tooth and being straight with you about what it needs. A crown protects a tooth for the long term — but how long it serves you depends on the health of the tooth underneath, so if a smaller repair would honestly do the job, we'll say so, with the cost of every option in writing before anything begins.
The tooth is gently trimmed to make room for its new crown, an impression is taken, and a temporary crown is placed to protect the tooth in the meantime. From that impression, your permanent crown is custom made in porcelain or ceramic, colour-matched to your natural teeth.
The temporary comes off and the permanent crown is cemented over the tooth. It restores the way your bite works, sits naturally alongside your own teeth, and protects what's left of the tooth for the long term.
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A bridge is a fixed porcelain replacement for a missing tooth, anchored to the teeth on either side of the gap — it stays in place, day and night.
A missing tooth is worth replacing in good time — left alone, neighbouring teeth can drift, your bite can change, and jaw problems, gum disease and further tooth loss can follow. We'll examine the gap and the teeth beside it, then lay out your options plainly — a bridge, an implant or a partial denture — with costs in writing.
The teeth on either side of the gap are trimmed so the bridge can anchor to them, and an impression is taken. Temporary crowns are placed on the two anchor teeth to protect them while your bridge is custom made.
The temporary crowns come off and your custom-made porcelain bridge is cemented in. You leave with a fully functional bite and a complete smile — no gap, and nothing to take out at night.
It depends on what's there. If the tooth is still standing but weakened, a crown caps and protects it. If the tooth is gone, a bridge closes the gap by anchoring to the teeth either side, while a dental implant replaces it without involving the neighbouring teeth. Each has an honest case for and against, and it varies mouth to mouth — we'll examine yours, lay the options out plainly, and put the costs in writing before you decide anything.
Yes — that's the point of the impression visit. Crowns and bridges are custom made in porcelain or ceramic and colour-matched to your natural teeth, so the finished result sits alongside them without announcing itself.
We won't quote you a magic number of years, because there isn't one. A crown protects a tooth for the long term, but its lifespan depends on the health of the tooth underneath and how the whole mouth is cared for. That's why we're honest about candidacy before we start, and why six-monthly check-ups matter afterwards — they catch small problems before they threaten the work.
The temporary is there to protect the prepared tooth until the permanent crown or bridge is ready, so treat it gently — we'll tell you at the visit exactly what to avoid. If it comes loose or off, don't panic: call us on (03) 9560 2702. Lost crowns are one of the emergencies we handle, and we keep emergency appointments open every day.
Because a gap rarely stays just a gap. Replacing a missing tooth in good time helps prevent the neighbouring teeth drifting, changes to your bite, jaw problems, gum disease and further tooth loss. If the gap doesn't genuinely need filling, though, we'll tell you that too.
Every mouth is different, so we don't publish one-size-fits-all prices. You'll receive a quote in writing before treatment begins, and we'll always talk cost before we treat — no surprises partway through.
“We'll always tell you when treatment isn't needed.”
Dr Michael Sawaya
Dr Barry Kave
