An Overview of Dental Bridges to Replace Missing Tooth

Dental bridges are adequate for literally bridging gaps left by one or several missing teeth. Dental bridges comprise two or more dental crowns for your natural teeth on either side of the edentulous gap left by the missing tooth to hold a bridge between them as a substitute for the teeth you lost.

The artificial tooth you receive is called a pontic bonded to the dental crowns over your natural teeth called abutments. Various materials like gold, alloys, and porcelain, besides a combination of materials, help make the artificial teeth. However, you will likely get porcelain crowns on your natural teeth to ensure the appearance of your smile is not impacted. Dental bridges receive support either from your natural teeth or dental implants.

Benefits of Dental Bridges

You derive many benefits if you seek dental bridges near me to replace your missing teeth. They are:

Dental bridges help restore your smile and ability to chew and speak correctly. The artificial restorations maintain your facial appearance by preventing jawbone deterioration. In addition, the bridges distribute the forces of biting correctly by replacing missing teeth and preventing your remaining teeth from drifting out of position.

Varieties of Dental Bridges Available to Replace Missing Teeth

You can have four types of dental bridges from the dentist in Fort Lee when you confront problems with missing teeth. They are:

• Traditional Fixed Dental Bridges: This variety requires two natural teeth beside the missing tooth gap to function as the anchoring abutment teeth with a dental bridge attached between them. You receive dental crowns on the anchoring teeth with a third dental crown customized from a material of choice to function as your artificial tooth.
• Cantilever Dental Bridges: Unfortunately, if you have merely one natural tooth adjacent to the missing tooth gap, the dentist recommends a cantilever bridge attached to a dental crown on the anchoring tooth. In such cases, you receive one dental crown over the natural tooth and one to replace your missing tooth. Cantilever dental bridges are not familiar and are neither an ideal choice for replacing lost molars where biting pressures are higher.
• Maryland Dental Bridges: Alternatively called a resin-bonded bridge, this variety is ideal for replacing your missing front tooth. This variety has a metal or porcelain framework bonded to the adjacent natural teeth to hold them in place.
• Implant-Supported Bridges: If you have many missing teeth, your dentist might recommend implant-supported Bridges with implants inserted in your jawbone to function as the abutment teeth with artificial teeth bonded between them. However, implant-supported bridges require dental surgery and months of healing time before you can receive artificial tooth replacements.

The procedure of Getting Dental Bridges

Whether you need a replacement for a single missing tooth in the anterior region of the mouth or traditional fixed bridges, you must schedule at least two appointments with the Fort Lee dentist.

The first appointment is to prepare your neighboring natural teeth to accommodate the dental crowns functioning as abutments. During the first meeting, the dentist examines the adjacent teeth for signs of infection because the health of the neighboring teeth determines the stability of the dental bridge. If everything is acceptable, you receive local anesthesia in the mouth because tooth structure removal from the adjacent teeth is essential to make space for the dental crowns. After preparing the neighboring teeth, the dentist impressions your mouth to make a mold for the dental laboratory to fabricate your custom-created dental crowns and bridge. You receive temporary acrylic bridges over the prepared tooth for protection until your permanent dental bridge is ready in about three weeks.

You can revisit the dentist after three weeks for permanent bridge placement. The dentist starts the process by removing the temporary acrylic bridges and checking the permanent replacement for color and fit. All things being acceptable, the dentist places the two dental crowns on the neighboring with an artificial tooth bonded between them to give you the artificial replacement. If you have a front tooth replaced with a Maryland bridge, the replacement is secured by your natural teeth held by the metal or porcelain framework.

Dental bridges are durable and remain in your mouth for five to 15 years, depending on your dental hygiene practices. However, you must ensure you don’t allow plaque buildup to accumulate around the dental crowns or beneath the dental bridge because it can make you vulnerable to infections like gum disease. Therefore you must practice dental hygiene diligently, brushing and flossing as recommended by your dentist, and getting six monthly dental prophylaxis without exceptions. Managing your artificial teeth appropriately helps extend their longevity and prevents needing further replacements for missing teeth to help you enjoy a better quality of life.

So Good Dental provides dental bridges to replace one or several missing teeth. If you confront problems with tooth loss, kindly schedule your appointment with this practice to receive missing teeth replacements in three weeks.