Dental Bridges: An Overview
Are you looking for a way to replace missing teeth and restore your beautiful smile? Dental bridges offer an effective solution for replacing one or more teeth, helping you regain the confidence to smile again. Read on for an overview of dental bridges and how they can help you.
What is a Dental Bridge?
A dental bridge is a prosthetic device that replaces one or more missing teeth. The bridgework consists of two crowns placed over healthy abutment teeth (adjacent to the gap) with a false tooth between them. This false tooth is known as the pontic, which spans the gap where your tooth is missing.
Advantages of Dental Bridges
1. Improved Appearance: Dental bridges can restore the beauty of your smile by replacing missing teeth and restoring balance to the shape and appearance of your face.
2. Better Chewing Ability: Missing teeth can make it difficult to chew food properly and enjoy meals, but dental bridges help improve your ability to eat various foods easily and confidently.
3. Better Speech Quality: You may also experience problems with speech due to missing teeth, but dental bridges can help restore clarity in speech.
4. Improved Oral Health: By replacing missing teeth, dental bridges can help protect healthy teeth from shifting out of their regular positions and help protect your gums from further damage.
Types of Dental Bridges
1. Traditional Fixed Bridge: This is the most common type of dental bridge and consists of a false tooth anchored to two abutment teeth with crowns, which are held in place by solid dental-grade cement.
2. Cantilever Bridge: This type of dental bridge is used when there are only healthy abutment teeth on one side of the gap, and it consists of a false tooth anchored to just one abutment tooth with a crown.
3. Implant-Supported Bridge: If you have sufficient jawbone density for implant placement, You may be a candidate for implant-supported bridges. This type of bridge is supported by dental implants instead of natural teeth and offers the most stable and durable solution for replacing missing teeth.
Conclusion
Dental bridges effectively replace one or more missing teeth and improve your appearance, chewing ability, and speech quality. Talk to your dentist today to find out if dental bridges are the right solution for you.
A: With proper care and maintenance, a dental bridge can last up to 10 years or even longer. Regular visits to your dentist will help ensure that your bridge continues to function properly.
A: The cost of a dental bridge will vary depending on the size, material, and type of bridge used. Talk to your dentist for a more accurate estimate.
A: In some cases, the adjacent teeth may become decayed or damaged due to the extra pressure placed by the bridge. For this reason, it is important to follow proper oral hygiene habits and have regular check-ups with your dentist.