Dental Crowns and Bridges in Jersey City

A crown is a cap that covers a damaged tooth and takes over its job. A bridge uses the teeth either side of a gap to carry a replacement tooth across it. Both are everyday dentistry, both last many years when done well, and this page explains when each is the right call.

We are at 115 Christopher Columbus Drive, Suite 200, two minutes from the Grove Street PATH. Call 201-425-8600 or request an appointment.

When a filling is no longer enough

Fillings work by sitting inside a tooth. That is fine while enough solid tooth remains around them to hold everything together. Past a certain point the filling becomes larger than the tooth it is in, the remaining walls get thin, and the tooth starts to flex when you chew. Eventually a piece breaks off, and if it breaks below the gum the tooth may not be savable.

A crown does the opposite job. It wraps the tooth from the outside and holds it together, like a band round a barrel. That is why it is the answer for:

• A tooth with a large old filling that is cracking or leaking
• A tooth that has broken, or has a crack running through it
• A tooth after root canal treatment, particularly a back tooth
• A tooth worn down by grinding
• Occasionally, a badly shaped or discoloured tooth where a veneer would not be strong enough

What crowns are made of

The material matters more than most people realise, and the right choice depends on which tooth it is.

• Zirconia. Very strong, good for back teeth and for people who grind. Modern layered zirconia looks convincing, though the most robust versions are slightly less lifelike than the alternatives.
• Pressed ceramic. The best appearance, because light passes through it much as it does through enamel. First choice for front teeth. Strong, but not the material for a heavy grinder’s molar.
• Porcelain bonded to metal. The long-established option, strong and reliable. The drawback is a thin dark line that can appear at the gum as gums recede over the years.
• Gold. Unfashionable and still excellent. It is kind to the opposing teeth, needs less tooth removed, and lasts an extraordinarily long time. Worth considering for a back tooth nobody sees.

We will tell you which we would choose for your tooth and why, and what the difference in cost is.

How a crown is done

Normally two visits about two to three weeks apart.

1. Preparation. Under local anaesthetic, the damaged parts are cleared out and the tooth is shaped so the crown can fit over it. If there is very little tooth left, a core is built up first to give the crown something to hold.
2. A scan or impression of the prepared tooth and the bite, sent to the laboratory.
3. A temporary crown for the couple of weeks in between. It is not as strong as the final one, so avoid very sticky food on that side. If it comes off, keep it and call us — it is a quick fix, not an emergency.
4. Fitting. We check the fit, the bite and the colour before cementing it. If the shade is wrong, we send it back rather than talking you into it.

The bite is the part people underestimate. A crown that is a fraction too tall will ache when you chew, so we adjust it carefully. Tell us if it feels high even slightly — it is easily corrected and much better dealt with straight away.

Bridges: filling a gap

A bridge replaces a missing tooth by joining to the teeth on either side. The replacement tooth sits between them, and the whole thing is cemented in place. It is not removable.

The advantage is speed. A bridge is finished in two or three weeks, where an implant takes months.

The cost is the neighbouring teeth. They must be cut down to carry it, exactly as they would be for crowns, even if they are perfectly healthy. That is a real trade-off:

• If the teeth either side are already crowned or heavily filled, a bridge makes good sense. They need covering anyway.
• If they are untouched, think hard. A dental implant replaces just the missing tooth and leaves its neighbours alone, and it puts something back into the bone so it does not shrink away.

Cleaning under a bridge takes a little learning, because you cannot pass ordinary floss between teeth that are joined. We will show you how with a threader or a small brush. Bridges fail most often because the supporting teeth decay underneath, and that is almost always a cleaning problem.

How long they last

A well-made crown commonly lasts ten to fifteen years and frequently much longer. Bridges are similar. Neither is permanent, and it is fairer to think of them as long-term repairs than as final answers.

What ends them is nearly always new decay at the margin where the crown meets the tooth, not the crown itself breaking. Which means the thing that decides how long yours lasts is how well you clean that gum line and whether problems get caught early at check-ups. Grinding is the other big factor, and a night guard is far cheaper than a remake.

What it costs, and what insurance does

Crowns are priced per tooth and vary with the material. A bridge is normally priced as the number of units it spans, so a three-unit bridge replacing one tooth costs roughly what three crowns would.

Most PPO plans do cover crowns and bridges, commonly around half the cost, which makes them one of the better-covered treatments we do. Two things to watch. Nearly all plans have an annual maximum that a crown will eat a large part of. And many have a waiting period for major work if the policy is new, sometimes six or twelve months.

We check your benefits before treatment and tell you your share in writing, rather than sending you a bill afterwards. More on the insurance and payment page. We do not take Medicaid, plans through the state, or DHMO and DMO plans.

Who does the work

Dr. Singal earned her Doctorate in Dental Surgery at the New York University College of Dentistry and prepares and fits the work herself. More about the practice.

We see patients from across downtown Jersey City, including Grove Street, Exchange Place, Paulus Hook and Marin Boulevard. If a crown has come off or a tooth has broken, see emergency dental care.