What are Dental Bridges?
A dental bridge is a restoration designed to replace one or more teeth within the mouth. When you’re missing a tooth completely, you might feel badly about your appearance and it might be difficult to eat and chew. A customized fixed bridge can be made for you that sits over the surrounding teeth. The middle section of the bridge contains the false tooth, which is known as the pontic.
Why are Dental Bridges needed?
The reason a dental bridge might be needed is because you’re missing one or more of your natural teeth. Bridges offer cosmetic and restorative benefits to those who need to have them placed. They are custom made for each individual patient, so they always look completely natural and realistic. You will benefit from the fact that most bridge work lasts for years or even decades without needing full replacement.
Who is a candidate for a Dental Bridge?
We will perform a comprehensive dental exam to determine if a bridge is the right option for you. Bridges are often the better solution for patients who aren’t good candidates for dental implants. No surgery, sutures or incisions are required in order to place a bridge. Older bridges showing signs of wear can be easily replaced in our office at our patients’ convenience.
What happens during the Dental Bridge procedure?
We begin by numbing an area of the mouth using a safe local anesthetic. We then use a dental drill to file down the two surrounding teeth. These teeth will act as anchors for the new fixed bridge. Impressions are taken and used to make the permanent restoration. We’ll schedule you to come back into the office after one to two weeks to have the bridge placed. You can expect the permanent bridge to last for years without having to worry about repairing or replacing it. You should brush the bridge as you would your natural teeth, and it’s important to be careful when flossing around it.
If you think you may benefit or need a bridge, call us today to speak with one of our trained and helpful staff members.