A bridge is a form of dental prosthetic that allows for the placement of an artificial tooth in an area where a healthy tooth used to exist.
When an entire tooth is lost, a bridge acts as a unifying device that supports the artificial tooth (called a pontic), and eliminates the gap between adjacent teeth. To accomplish this, the pontic must be joined to these adjacent teeth in order to stay in place.
Among the many ways this can be accomplished is through the use of crowns.
When used as support for a bridge, a prosthetic crown acts as a connecting anchor for the artificial tooth. It can be used in conjunction with an inlay or an onlay, or can be used in combination with another crown on the tooth that straddles the pontic.
With this dental procedure code, the prosthetic crown is completely constructed of either porcelain or ceramic, but only covers 3/4 of the tooth's overall surface. Each of these two materials mirrors the look and luminescence of your natural teeth, and your dentist can help you decide on your best option given your budget and the health of your teeth.
Aside from getting a great color match, this type of crown has the added benefit of bonding more securely with your tooth than most traditional metals.
With a 3/4 ceramic/porcelain crown, the entire biting surface of the tooth is covered with either ceramic or porcelain, along with a portion of the tooth that rests alongside the tongue.
To enhance the existing integrity of the tooth, the healthy portion of the tooth that faces your cheek (and is visible when smiling), is left intact.
To look up and find more CDT dental codes from the American Dental Association, please visit our complete Dental Procedure Code Library.