Ceramic crowns and bridges
Gaps are closed for medical as well as aesthetic reasons, to balance the chewing forces in the mouth.
If too little of a tooth is left to fill it, a crown takes over its shape and its part in chewing. If a tooth is missing altogether, a bridge closes the gap.
When a bridge makes sense
If the neighbouring teeth need treatment anyway, or if something speaks against an implant, the fixed bridge is a good solution. It rests on those neighbours – which presupposes that their periodontium can carry the extra load. After periodontitis, that is exactly what has to be checked carefully.
Why ceramic
More and more patients react sensitively to metals. All-ceramic manages without them, is kind to the tissue and blends in more discreetly in the visible area, because it transmits light in much the same way as a natural tooth.