Restorative Dentistry - Dental Crowns, Bridges and Veneers

Sometimes, despite best efforts, our smile is not as good as we might like or it has degraded over time.

This can often result in you smiling less, having less confidence at work and with friends or just generally making you unhappy.

Restoring or creating the smile of your dreams is always possible. Sometimes using complex dentistry but also often through small or subtle changes that may not be nearly as expensive as you might think.

We have an expert dental team that can give you a complete smile makeover

Existing teeth shapes and colours can be repaired or altered by using white fillings. You can restore broken or weak teeth with beautiful porcelain dental crowns and bridges to match other teeth in your mouth, handcrafted by local dental labs.

This can also include various treatments such as Dental Veneers to mask or enhance a tooth, Dental Crowns to improve shape, colour and strength of a tooth or Dental Bridges: to replace multiple missing teeth.

These treatments can restore your smile to something to be proud of.

With help of our caring dentists, we have patients smiling all around Pembrokeshire.

Often known as caps, crowns are carefully fitted metal or ceramic sleeves that are designed to fit over an existing tooth.

Dental Crowns are used when a tooth is not longer suitable for a dental filling, either due to being broken down or just too weak on its own. The crown is a protective cover that is designed to look just like a natural tooth.

Using a number of crowns together can created amazing smile restorations, replacing fragile or discoloured teeth, all whilst prolonging the tooth's natural lifespan.

Dental Crowns can also be used if you have no natural teeth. In conjunction with Dental Implants or as part of a dental bridge we can replace missing teeth. Both options replacing dentures, improving smile appearance and of course giving you confidence to bite and smile again.

Dental Bridges are very similar to crowns, except they are made up of multiple teeth that span a gap. This allows you to replace a missing tooth in your smile, without the need of a denture. They also prevents the neighbouring teeth from moving: a problem if a gap is simply left after a tooth is lost.

A dental crown is often needed if a tooth is particularly weak or had been damaged in some way. Often this is due to decay, so you may find a previously filled tooth that has deteriorated or substantially weakened, may require a dental crown.

Similarly if you have had a tooth heavily filled, or have received a root canal treatment you may find that after time a dental crown may be suggested by your dentist to avoid the risk of tooth breakdown or fracture under normal biting conditions.

A crown will help to prevent any worsening of a worn tooth, stopping wear and tear as well a providing reinforcement if a tooth is fragile.

The staple of dentistry, this is effectively "filling" a hole (once the decay is removed) with a material that takes the place of the missing teeth material.

These are made of a high strength ceramic or plastic, that mimics the appearance of your natural teeth.

They are sculptable and if placed well can be nearly indistinguishable to your natural teeth. They are high strength and can often last 10 years or more even on crushing back teeth.

This is the type of filling that is most often used within the practice as it is both up to task and aesthetically pleasing.

As a result our patients can expect the highest quality of care and outcome. Patients will see their finished work (before and after) by means of small cameras so they can comment and ensure that the work is as good as they might expect without defects, and looking good.

Dental Veneers are a type of restorative dentistry that are similar to crowns, they cover your existing teeth to hide problems you may have and can give a white bright smile.

Depending on your situation and what your dentist suggests there are two main types of veneers available to patients

Composite Veneers

Layers of dental composite (Dental filling material) are applied directly to the tooth surface. This covers any damage or cracks that may be present and is best suited for teeth with only minor damage.

This treatment can typically be carried out in one appointment, saving any repeated visits.

Porcelain Veneers

These veneers are hand made by dental technicians out of the same material as dental crowns. They are made to look just like natural teeth, and are hard to distinguish once fitted.

Similar to dental crowns some of the tooth needs to be removed, however once placed they provide a strong and beautiful smile.

Veneers are a quick and effective solutions to single or multiple 'ugly' teeth but do have drawbacks.

Poorly made veneers can look unappealing: dark colours underneath can shine through and there is often some preparation required of the tooth, damaging the natural tooth surface.

There is also the fact that, like false finger nails, they can come off when least desired or expected.

As a result, this type of treatment is rarely ideal for most patients despite being the 'celebrity' choice. They require careful consideration if they are to work well in the long term and our dentists are best placed to give you advice on this if you are looking for this type of treatment option.

Many of our dentists have additional qualifications above that of a general practitioner allowing a wide range of advanced treatments. Things like Dental Implants, Orthodontics and advanced Restorative Dentistry are all carried out within the practice.

You can see more about our team here, along with their qualifications and experience.

Content Written and Approved by Dr Mark Boulcott