The Dental Tree
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Crowns and bridges

A crown is a cap that covers and protects a damaged tooth, and a bridge replaces a missing tooth by anchoring a false one to the teeth on either side of the gap.

The essentials

Does it hurt?
Preparing a tooth for a crown is done under local anaesthetic, so it is not painful. The tooth may be sensitive to cold for a few days with the temporary on. Fitting the final crown usually needs no anaesthetic at all.
How long does it take?
Two appointments about one to two weeks apart for most crowns and bridges, with laboratory time in between. You leave the first appointment with a temporary, never a bare tooth.
What does it cost?
Crowns are priced per unit and the figure depends on the material — zirconia, full ceramic, porcelain-fused-to-metal and metal are different costs. A bridge is priced by the number of units it spans, so a single-tooth gap is three units. Every option is quoted at the assessment so you can choose with the numbers in front of you.

Who this is for

  • A tooth is cracked, heavily filled, or has had a root canal
  • A tooth is worn down and no longer meets its opposite tooth properly
  • You have a gap and would prefer a fixed solution to a removable denture

This is the specialism, literally

Dr. Prasenjit Dey's postgraduate degree is an MDS in Prosthodontics. Crowns are not a sideline here — they are the named subject of three years of specialist training after the BDS.

What that buys you is the part patients notice: a crown that meets the opposing tooth evenly, has a margin the gum sits cleanly against, and does not look like a different material from the teeth beside it.

Which material, and why it is not just cost

Zirconia is strong and tooth-coloured, which makes it the usual answer for back teeth that take heavy force. Porcelain-fused-to-metal is long-proven but can show a dark line at the gum over years. Full-ceramic crowns look the best on front teeth, where appearance matters more than crushing strength. Metal crowns are the toughest and the least discreet, and still have a place on molars nobody sees.

The choice depends on which tooth it is, how much force it takes, and how visible it is. All of them are discussed with the cost of each, rather than one being presented as the only option.

Bridge or implant

A bridge is faster — weeks, not months — and needs no surgery. The cost is that the two teeth beside the gap have to be reduced to carry it, and if those teeth are perfectly healthy, that is a real thing to give up.

An implant leaves the neighbours untouched but takes months and costs more. Neither is universally correct. If your neighbouring teeth already need crowns anyway, a bridge is often the obvious answer; if they are pristine, an implant usually is.

What happens, in order

  1. 01

    Assessment

    The tooth is examined and X-rayed to check there is enough sound structure to build on.

  2. 02

    Preparation

    The tooth is shaped under local anaesthetic and a scan or impression is taken.

  3. 03

    Temporary crown

    A temporary protects the tooth and keeps you looking normal while the lab works.

  4. 04

    Fitting

    The crown is tried in, the bite is checked and adjusted, then it is cemented.

Crowns & Bridges — common questions

How much does a dental crown cost in Silchar?
Crown cost depends on the material — metal, porcelain-fused-to-metal, zirconia and full ceramic are all different figures — and The Dental Tree quotes each option at the assessment so you can compare them. The right material is partly a question of which tooth it is, since a molar needs strength and a front tooth needs to look natural. Ask what the consultation costs when you message, so there is no surprise at the counter.
How long do dental crowns last?
A well-fitted crown that is looked after commonly lasts ten to fifteen years, and often longer. What ends a crown's life is usually not the crown itself but new decay in the tooth underneath, starting at the margin where crown meets tooth — which is why flossing around a crown matters. Grinding your teeth at night is the other main cause of early failure.
Does getting a crown hurt?
No — the tooth is numbed with local anaesthetic before it is prepared, so the appointment should be comfortable. Some sensitivity to cold is normal for a few days while the temporary crown is on, because the prepared tooth is more exposed. Fitting the permanent crown at the second visit usually needs no anaesthetic.
What is the difference between a crown and a bridge?
A crown covers and protects one damaged tooth that is still in your mouth, while a bridge fills a gap where a tooth is missing by joining a false tooth to crowns on the teeth either side. So a crown is a repair and a bridge is a replacement. A single-tooth bridge is normally three joined units — two anchors and the false tooth between them.
Should I get a bridge or an implant?
A bridge is quicker and needs no surgery, but requires the healthy teeth either side of the gap to be reduced to carry it. An implant leaves those teeth untouched and is the better long-term answer when they are sound, at the cost of several months of healing and a higher price. If the neighbouring teeth already need crowns for other reasons, a bridge often makes more sense.
Can a crown be fitted in one day?
At The Dental Tree a crown normally takes two appointments about one to two weeks apart, because the crown is made in a dental laboratory to match your other teeth. You are never left with an unprotected tooth in between — a temporary crown is fitted at the first visit and looks and functions normally for everyday use.
Will a zirconia crown look natural?
Yes — zirconia is tooth-coloured and, unlike older porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns, has no metal core that can show as a dark line at the gum over time. It also has the strength for back teeth, which is why it is the common recommendation for molars. For a front tooth where translucency matters most, a full-ceramic crown can look even better.

Other treatments

Symptoms that usually lead here

Crowns & Bridges across Silchar

Patients come to Ambicapatty from across Silchar. Each of these pages has the route, the drive time and the treatments most asked for from that area.

Ask about crowns & bridges

Send a message saying what is going on and you will get a straight answer about whether crowns & bridges is the right treatment for you — and what it would cost — before committing to anything.

The Dental Tree — House No. 2, Happy Valley Lane, Hailakandi Road, Opposite ICICI Bank, Ambicapatty, Silchar, Assam 788005

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