What is a Dental Bridge?

When you are looking to fill the gap in your teeth, the dentist may offer a bridge as one treatment option to replace your missing tooth. The device was named aptly as it bridges the gap between two teeth which function as anchors or abutments to hold the bridge or pontic into place in your mouth.  If you have a smile with a gap you would like to fill, ask the dentist about the way a chapel hill dental bridge could help you.

Dentists use crowns on either side of the missing tooth to secure the replacement tooth in place.  Dentists can use a variety of materials to create the false teeth which include gold, alloys, porcelain, ceramic or a combination of materials.  The abutments on either side of the bridge can be your natural teeth or even implanted replacement teeth.  With the variety of techniques, materials and approaches, people who were not candidates for dental bridges in the past, may be potential patients now.

Should you need to have a tooth removed or if you have already lost a tooth, a dental bridge is one of the tools the dentist can use to restore your smile.  Missing teeth are not just a cosmetic problem, the lack of pressure on your jaw bone can cause bone deterioration and loss.  The missing tooth can leave the surrounding teeth vulnerable to tooth decay or gum disease.  Without the tooth to keep the other teeth in place, the other teeth can shift and cause an issue with your bite or even your temporomandibular joint.  If a dental bridge is one of the treatment plans suggested by the dentist, there are many benefits that come with the replacement tooth.

Once a bridge is in place, you will first notice your full, bright smile.  The new tooth and the crowns holding it in place can improve the first impression you share with the world every day.  Next, the bridge will allow you to speak and chew like you did before you lost your tooth.  Children lose their teeth and struggle to adapt while the new adult teeth are coming in, you will no longer have this struggle as an adult. Additionally, the bridge will allow for equal pressure to be distributed across your whole jaw while biting.  When you have you missing tooth, you may experience some shifting in your other teeth, but the bridge will restore your bite to its natural placement.  Finally, the bridge will return your face and mouth to its natural shape.  The missing tooth can cause your mouth or cheek to sink in unnaturally.  There are plenty of reasons to look into a dental bridge for a healthier mouth.

When you talk to the dentist about the type of dental bridge that’s best for you, there are three main types to review.  First, the traditional bridge involves a replacement tooth held in place by a crown or implant on either side.  Second, the cantilever bridge allows the dentist to attach the bridge only on one side of the bridge.  Third, the Maryland bonded bridge secures the bridge in place by fusing the replacement tooth to the teeth on either side.

More information on dental bridges : How Much Do Dental Bridges Cost?