Crowns, veneers and bridges

The tooth is numbed and shaped to make room for the new restoration — a small amount for a veneer, more for a full crown. We take a scan or impression, choose the shade with you, and fit a temporary. The laboratory makes the final piece, and you come back to have it fitted and the bite adjusted.

A bridge works the same way, except the teeth either side of the gap are prepared to carry the replacement tooth between them.

• This is irreversible. Tooth structure removed to make room cannot be put back, and the tooth will always need to be covered from then on.
• Sensitivity to hot, cold and pressure for a few weeks afterwards.
• The nerve may die — during preparation, or months to years later — and the tooth then needs root canal treatment through the new crown, or replacement of it.
• Chipping or fracture of the porcelain, particularly if you grind or clench your teeth.
• The temporary coming off between appointments. It happens; keep it and ring us rather than gluing it back yourself.
• Decay at the margin where the crown meets the tooth, if cleaning between the teeth isn't kept up. This is the most common cause of a crown failing years later.
• Gum recession over time, which can expose a visible margin at the edge of a front crown or veneer.
• Colour matching has limits. A single front tooth is the hardest thing in dentistry to match, and porcelain does not lighten with whitening later — so any whitening you're planning needs to happen first.
• Bite adjustment may be needed after fitting, sometimes at a follow-up visit.
• For bridges: healthy teeth either side are cut down to carry it, cleaning underneath takes more effort, and if one supporting tooth fails, the whole bridge usually has to be replaced.
• Nothing lasts forever. Well-cared-for crowns and bridges commonly last well over a decade, but they are replacements, not permanent fixtures.

• A large filling or an onlay, where enough sound tooth remains.
• Composite bonding for front teeth — less tooth removed, lower cost, but it stains and chips sooner than porcelain.
• An implant instead of a bridge, which leaves the neighbouring teeth untouched.
• A denture to replace the missing tooth or teeth.
• Doing nothing, accepting that a cracked or heavily filled tooth may break further, and that a gap allows the neighbouring teeth to drift.

• I understand tooth structure will be removed permanently to make room for the restoration.
• I understand the tooth may later need root canal treatment, at a separate cost.
• I understand porcelain does not change colour with whitening, and any whitening should be done beforehand.
• I understand this involves more than one appointment and that I will wear a temporary in between.
• I have read the information above and had the chance to ask questions.
• I understand no dental treatment can be guaranteed.
• The costs have been explained to me, and I can ask for a written quote before treatment starts.
• My medical history is accurate and I will tell the practice about any changes before my appointment.
• I understand I can change my mind at any time before treatment starts.
• I understand my dentist will go through this with me and confirm my consent in person on the day.

This form records that you have read and understood the information above. It is not consent to proceed — your dentist confirms consent with you in person before treatment begins, and you can withdraw at any time.