Dental Crowns & Bridges in Rawalpindi

Zirconia, porcelain and metal crowns and bridges, fitted at Plot F-881 in Satellite Town — opposite Gate 3 of Holy Family Hospital.

Prosthetic dentistry

What are crowns and bridges, and when do you need them?

A crown is a cap that covers a whole tooth, rebuilding its shape and taking the force of chewing when too little natural tooth is left to hold a filling. A bridge is two or more crowns joined together: the teeth either side of a gap are prepared and a false tooth is suspended between them, filling the space without surgery.

A crown is usually advised after a root canal on a back tooth, for a tooth that has cracked or broken down, or for one so heavily filled that it has started to flex. A bridge suits a single gap with sound teeth on both sides. Where those neighbours are untouched, an implant is often the kinder option, and we will say so.

The treatment room at Dental Studio by Dr Fatima in Satellite Town, Rawalpindi, where crowns and bridges are fitted

Our process

How we fit a crown or bridge at Dental Studio

Two visits about a week apart, with a temporary in place between them.

Shade and shape

We agree the material and match the shade in daylight, then photograph it so the lab can see what we mean. Anything unusual about your bite is noted now.

Prepare the tooth

Under local anaesthetic a thin, even layer is taken off so the crown sits flush with the gum rather than bulking out. Any decay underneath is cleared first.

Impression and temporary

An impression or an intraoral scan goes to the laboratory, and a temporary crown protects the tooth meanwhile. It is cemented lightly so it comes off easily.

Fit and cement

At the second visit we try it in and check the contacts, the bite and the shade with you holding a mirror. It is adjusted, and only then cemented.

Dental unit and instruments used to prepare teeth for crowns at our Satellite Town clinic in Rawalpindi

How long it takes, and what recovery is like

Two visits roughly a week apart, about forty-five minutes each. The tooth is numb for the preparation, so what you feel is vibration and water rather than pain.

Expect the prepared tooth to be sensitive to cold while the temporary is on; that stops once the final crown is cemented. Chew carefully and keep sticky food away from the temporary — if it loosens, message us and we will re-cement it rather than leave the tooth exposed. After fitting, the bite can feel slightly high for a day or two. If it still feels high after that, come back and let us adjust it.

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Why us

Why patients choose us for crowns and bridges

The lab work is discussed, not guessed

You see the shade match and approve the shape before anything is cemented. A crown you are unhappy with goes back to the laboratory.

Zirconia through to metal

We fit every common material and explain which one your tooth needs, rather than defaulting to the dearest one on the shelf.

Evening appointments

Two visits are easier to arrange when the clinic runs to 10 PM, six days a week.

Questions we get asked about crowns and bridges

How long does a crown last?

That depends on the tooth, the bite and the cleaning. Many crowns last well over a decade. What ends them early is decay at the gum margin, so keep flossing where the crown meets the tooth.

Will a crown look like my own tooth?

A zirconia or ceramic crown, shade-matched in daylight, usually does. A metal crown does not, which is why it tends to go on back teeth where nobody sees it.

Crown, bridge or implant?

If the tooth is still there and restorable, a crown. If it is gone and the neighbours already need crowns, a bridge. If those neighbours are untouched, an implant usually protects more of your own tooth.

Can the tooth under a crown still decay?

Yes, at the margin where the crown meets the tooth, and you may not feel it because the crown covers the surface. That is one of the things a check-up is looking for.

Does getting a crown hurt?

The tooth is numbed before it is shaped, so the preparation itself is not painful. Once the anaesthetic wears off the gum around the tooth may feel tender and the tooth slightly sensitive to cold for a few days; an ordinary painkiller is usually enough. A tooth that has had a root canal feels nothing at all.

What care does a crown or bridge need?

Avoid sticky and very hard food on the temporary crown and chew on the other side until the permanent one is fitted. After that, brush and floss as normal; under a bridge use a floss threader or interdental brush, because food collects there. Tell us if the bite feels high — it is a quick adjustment.