What materials are used for crowns and bridges?

Most permanent crowns and bridges are made from strong ceramics or zirconia, which are durable, stain-resistant, and matched to natural teeth. Temporary restorations are made from safe acrylic while the permanent one is crafted.

How many visits does a crown or bridge take?

Typically two visits. The first involves preparing the tooth, taking a digital scan, and placing a temporary restoration. At the second visit, the custom restoration is fitted, adjusted, and secured.

How do I clean under a dental bridge?

The space under the artificial tooth needs daily cleaning with floss threaders, small interdental brushes, or a water flosser, since regular floss cannot pass through. Professional cleanings also help protect the anchor teeth.

Can a damaged bridge be replaced?

Yes. If the supporting teeth are still strong, a new bridge can be made. If they have weakened, alternatives such as a dental implant may be recommended.

Restorative & Implants

Dental Bridges in Mundelein, IL — Restore Your Smile’s Strength and Beauty

Q: How do I know if I need a crown instead of a filling?

A filling treats small cavities when most of the tooth is healthy. A crown is typically needed when a tooth has a large old filling, a deep crack, significant decay, or has had root canal treatment, because it covers and protects the entire tooth.

Q: How long do crowns and bridges last?

With good home care and regular dental checkups, crowns and bridges commonly last ten years or more. Longevity depends primarily on brushing, flossing, gum health, and catching small issues early at routine visits.

Q: Is getting a crown or bridge painful?

No. Tooth preparation is performed with local anesthesia, and most patients feel only pressure during the visit. Mild sensitivity for a few days afterward is normal.

Book a consultation Call 847.566.2811

The short version

Crowns and bridges are the workhorses of restorative dentistry. A crown is a custom cap that covers and protects a single damaged tooth; a bridge replaces one or more missing teeth by anchoring artificial teeth to the healthy teeth beside the gap. Both restore your ability to chew comfortably, keep your other teeth from shifting, and protect your long-term oral health.

At Markiewicz Dental in Mundelein, IL, every crown and bridge starts with a digital scan from our iTero scanner instead of messy putty molds, and ends with a restoration checked carefully against your bite — because a restoration that fits right doesn’t just look natural, it feels invisible.

Medically reviewed by the doctors of Markiewicz Dental

Dental Crowns: Protecting a Damaged Tooth

When Is a Crown Needed?

A crown makes sense when a tooth is too damaged for a filling but too valuable to lose — a deep crack, a large old filling, significant decay, or a tooth that’s had a root canal. By covering the entire visible tooth, a crown restores its strength and lets you chew normally again. Just as important, it saves the natural root, which keeps your jawbone stimulated and prevents the bone loss that follows an extraction.

How a Crown Is Made

We gently shape the tooth, capture a precise digital scan, and place a temporary crown to protect it while the lab crafts your permanent one from durable, natural-looking materials — typically strong ceramics or zirconia, matched to your smile. When it’s ready, we fit it, fine-tune your bite, and bond it in place. For teeth with roots or bone in question, a cone beam 3D scan lets us verify everything below the gumline is healthy before we build on it.

Dental Bridges: Replacing a Missing Tooth

How a Bridge Works

A bridge closes the gap left by a missing tooth by placing crowns on the healthy teeth on either side, with a custom artificial tooth suspended between them. It’s fixed in place — no removing it at night — and it does important structural work: without something filling the gap, neighboring teeth drift and tilt, your bite changes, and problems compound. Before recommending a bridge, we evaluate whether your anchor teeth are strong enough to carry the load for years to come.

Bridge Materials and Fit

Bridges are crafted from the same durable, stain-resistant ceramics as our crowns, designed to blend with your natural teeth and stand up to daily chewing. We balance the bite carefully so pressure is distributed evenly across the bridge and your natural teeth — that balance is what keeps a bridge comfortable for the long haul. In some cases, a bridge can be anchored to dental implants instead of natural teeth, which adds stability and avoids reshaping healthy teeth.

Crown, Bridge, or Implant — How Do We Choose?

They solve different problems. A crown saves a damaged tooth that’s still rooted. A bridge or an implant replaces a tooth that’s gone — a bridge works fast and uses neighboring teeth for support, while an implant stands alone and preserves the bone beneath the gap. Which is right depends on the health of your surrounding teeth, your bone, your timeline, and your budget. After your exam and imaging, we’ll lay out the options honestly — including what happens if you wait — and let you decide.

Restorative Care in Mundelein Since 1988

Markiewicz Dental has served Mundelein, Libertyville, Vernon Hills, Long Grove, and Lake County families since 1988 — advanced restorative dentistry with the personal accountability of a family practice. Your crown or bridge is planned, fitted, and maintained by the same team, and we check it at every cleaning so small issues get caught while they’re still small.

Questions

Frequently Asked Questions About Crowns and Bridges

How do I know if I need a crown instead of a filling?

A filling handles small cavities when most of the tooth is still healthy. When the damage is bigger — a large old filling, a deep crack, or a tooth after root canal treatment — a crown protects the whole tooth in a way a filling can’t. X-rays and your exam tell us which option keeps your tooth healthy longest, and we’ll show you what we see.

How long do crowns and bridges last?

With good home care and regular checkups, ten years or more is a reasonable expectation, and many last well beyond that. The biggest factors are your brushing and flossing, the health of your gums, and catching small issues early — which is exactly what we’re checking at every cleaning.

What materials are used?

Most permanent crowns and bridges are made from strong ceramics or zirconia — durable, stain-resistant, and matched to your natural teeth. While your permanent restoration is being crafted, you’ll wear a temporary made from safe acrylic that protects the tooth and gums. We’ll walk you through the material options for your specific tooth and smile.

Is getting a crown or bridge painful?

No — the tooth preparation is done with local anesthesia, and most patients feel only pressure during the visit. Mild sensitivity for a few days afterward is normal as your gums adjust. Digital scanning also makes the process faster and more comfortable than the impression trays you might remember.

How many visits does it take?

Typically two. At the first, we prepare the tooth or anchor teeth, take your digital scan, and place a temporary restoration. A few weeks later, your custom crown or bridge comes back from the lab and we fit, adjust, and secure it. You leave the first visit protected and the second visit finished.

How do I clean under a bridge?

The space under the artificial tooth needs daily attention, since regular floss can’t pass through. Floss threaders, small interdental brushes, or a water flosser all work well — we’ll show you the technique that’s easiest for you. Combined with professional cleanings, good home care under the bridge is what protects your anchor teeth for the long run.

Can a damaged or old bridge be replaced?

Yes. If a bridge is worn, damaged, or no longer fits well, we first evaluate whether your supporting teeth are still strong enough to anchor a new one. If they are, we replace it; if they’ve weakened, we’ll talk through alternatives like an implant. Either way, the goal is saving as much natural tooth as possible.

Patient reviews

From people who had this done here.

I have been a patient here for over twenty years and I would not go anywhere else. Everyone knows my name the moment I walk in, and the care has always been thorough and completely honest.

Donna W.Verified Google review

Related care

More in Restorative & Implants.

A damaged tooth or a gap in your smile doesn’t fix itself — but it fixes. Call Markiewicz Dental at (847) 566-2811 or request an appointment online. Trusted restorative care in Mundelein since 1988.