What Are Crowns and Bridges?
“Crown and bridge” is a dental term that is used somewhat haphazardly, because it refers to two entirely different treatment options.
A crown is a supportive structure for a tooth that is damaged or cosmetically imperfect. It covers the tooth circumferentially in ceramic or a metal-based ceramic, restoring a natural tooth. A bridge, on the other hand, is a method for replacing teeth. It links teeth together to replace a missing tooth entirely.
The key difference is that a crown works on a natural tooth, while a bridge replaces a tooth.
Crowns
A crown is a dental restoration that is custom made for a tooth in order to support it. Typical reasons for having a crown include:
- Chipped or broken teeth
- Teeth that have had root canal treatment
- Cosmetically imperfect teeth, although a veneer is often more suitable because it is more minimally invasive
- Major bite adjustments
- Major tooth wear
- Significant restoration with silver or white fillings, which can predispose a tooth to fracture. A crown may be necessary to protect the tooth from further damage before it happens.
Our dentists at Marylebone Smile Clinic are accredited in cosmetic dentistry, including crown work, and can offer a free virtual consultation to understand your needs.
Aside from crown work, there are often more conservative methods available, because a crown requires significant reduction of the tooth structure in order to place it. The evidence tells us this can be up to 50% of the tooth. This carries certain risks relating to the overall lifespan of the tooth and the risk of the nerve within the tooth developing a complication that may require further treatment, such as root canal treatment. All of this results in more dentistry, higher risk and lower longevity of the teeth involved.
A crown should therefore not be taken lightly. It should be a very active and careful decision, with less invasive alternatives considered first. Book your consultation now to consider all your options in detail before committing.
Bridges
A bridge is part of the prosthetic replacement of a tooth. When a tooth is lost, the top part of the tooth, as well as the nerve and the root, is removed from the bone itself. This leaves an absence of the tooth entirely, which requires something such as a bridge or a dental implant to replace it. A bridge is a very popular, long-standing technique for linking teeth together in order to replace a tooth. There are two general types.
Resin-retained bridges
This type uses a metal or ceramic wing that is adhesively bonded to the adjacent tooth to anchor a natural-looking replacement tooth next to it. The typical lifespan is 7 to 9 years, based on data by Jamal and Paul King, who are based in Bristol in the southwest.
Conventional bridges
This was the most common way to design a bridge. The tooth, or the two teeth either side of a missing tooth, are cut down circumferentially and crowned, which creates a mechanical lock that is extremely strong. However, it carries quite a high biological burden, because significant tooth structure has to be removed.
Within crown and bridge treatment, a conventional bridge is considered one of the most invasive things you can do to a tooth. It is a relatively less popular solution these days because dental implantology tends to be more minimally invasive and longer lasting. Conventional bridges last 10 years on average, while dental implants can last up to 25 years.
Materials
- Porcelain & Ceramic: Best for front teeth due to a natural, translucent look.
- Zirconia: Zirconia is a shorthand for zirconium dioxide, a white metal that is also a ceramic. It works well for crown and bridge work as it has high strength at 0.5mm thickness. It can also be very aesthetic depending on the layering porcelain used over it.
- Porcelain Fused to Metal (PFM): Combines a cobalt chromium core with layering porcelain. Some of the oldest materials in dentistry are PFM based and whilst it is a reliable technique for strength, it is aesthetically poor and requires heavy reshaping of the teeth involved.
- Lithium disilicate: A synthetic reinforced ceramic is occasionally used as it has glass content in it, making it ideal for adhesive bond strength. Our team at Marylebone Smile Clinic are published authors on the subject of ceramic technology and are one of the few clinics using the latest materials.
What to Expect During the Procedure
Step 1: Initial Consultation & Digital Imaging
- A comprehensive data collection and assessment of your smile is important, followed by a detailed conversation about your goals and a treatment plan would then be customised to you.
Step 2: Tooth Preparation & Temporary Placement
- Preparation involved local anaesthesia and some reshaping of the teeth involved. Temporary crowns and bridges are designed according to the future plan and made in a bisacrylic resin.
Step 3: Fitting Your Permanent Smile
- Crowns and bridges are milled or pressed followed by a detailed colour grading process. Depending on the skill of the ceramics team, this can make or break the aesthetic outcome in your case!
Getting an Assessment
If you are considering either option for tooth replacement and need an assessment, the best approach is a detailed look at your teeth, bone health and gum health, with an x-ray to assess the overall volume of the bone. This is something our team specialises in, and we can see you at your earliest availability.
Give us a call using the details below, or send in a photo and we can give you some advice remotely.
Conclusion: Key Differences Between a Crown and a Bridge
| Feature | Dental Crown | Dental Bridge |
|---|---|---|
| Primary purpose | Protects a damaged or fractured tooth, or one that has had root canal treatment | Replaces one or more teeth |
| Support structure | Supported by the natural tooth itself | Anchored to adjacent teeth, sometimes called abutments |
| Treatment area | Works on single teeth | Spans multiple teeth |
Frequently Asked Questions
Are crowns and bridges the same?
No. One replaces teeth, and the other restores a damaged tooth.
Is the risk to the tooth the same with a crown and a bridge?
No, as this depends on the style of bridge and the style of crown preparation used. A crown typically carries a risk of approximately 10 to 15% that the nerve will need root canal treatment afterwards. A resin-retained bridge has a 0% chance of needing root canal treatment in the future, but a conventional bridge can carry a risk in the region of 15% or more.
What are crowns and bridges made of?
Typically they are made of a glass or polycrystalline ceramic layered with feldspathic porcelain. This gives a highly aesthetic result that matches your adjacent teeth naturally and stands the test of time.
At Marylebone Smile Clinic, we use the latest ceramics: lithium disilicate, zirconium dioxide and feldspathic ceramics, used in combination to leverage the optical and strength properties of each material.
There are cheaper alternatives in the form of porcelain fused to metal. This is an older approach that requires more reshaping of the teeth and tends to have poorer aesthetics overall.
What is the cost of crown and bridge work in London?
A crown can cost anything from about £250 for an NHS Band 3 treatment, all the way up to £2,000 per tooth at high-end cosmetic practices or on Harley Street in London.
Our fees at Marylebone Smile Clinic are £995 per tooth where multiple teeth require crowns, and from £1,995 per tooth for a single tooth that requires a crown.
A bridge is costed variably depending on its complexity and size. This can range from £2,495 upwards depending on the situation.
What is better, a crown or a bridge?
They are very different treatment options. A bridge replaces the tooth entirely and can be an excellent choice when you need an aesthetic replacement for a tooth and do not have enough bone, or the situation does not allow for an implant, for example because the bone is too narrow or of poor quality. A crown restores a tooth to its natural form and function without losing the tooth.
Both can be applicable in the same mouth and for the same person, so it is not accurate to call crown and bridge the same treatment. They are very different.
Why do dental laboratories call themselves crown and bridge laboratories if the treatments are so different?
This is a historical naming system, based on laboratories trying to communicate what they do to dentists in a clear and succinct way. In the 20th century, dentistry did not typically include dental implants, so the two most common things ordered from a lab were crown and bridge work. Labs were therefore labelled crown and bridge labs, and those that made dentures were denture labs. This naming system has continued over time.
Why seek treatment from a London restorative dentist?
London restorative dentists and cosmetic dentists are GDC-registered specialists and special interest dentists who are highly trained and capable of placing crowns and bridges in a way that is long lasting and also aesthetically stable. The lifespan of dental work is partly influenced by home care in the long term, but also partly by the technical standards employed at the time of placement.
Can I get a crown and bridge on the NHS?
Yes, you can. Both fall under a Band 3 NHS treatment, and this is possible on a metal-ceramic basis. The aesthetics are typically not ideal, but the result is perfectly functional.
Dentist at Marylebone Smile Clinic and an Accredited member of the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry.
GDC number: 258353. Last reviewed: 9 November 2026