Exploring Dental Bridges: Bridging the Gap for a Perfect Smile
Permanent teeth are meant to last a lifetime, but keeping all of your natural teeth can be challenging. An estimated 178 million Americans are missing one or more teeth, and approximately 40 million are missing all of their teeth.
Missing teeth can lead to oral health conditions such as decay, infection, and future tooth loss. Dental bridges offer an affordable and effective solution for bridging tooth gaps to restore an aesthetic and functional smile.
Dental Bridge: What Is It and How Does It Work?
As the name suggests, a dental bridge is a dental appliance used to bridge the gap when one or more teeth are missing. With a traditional bridge, the appliance is supported by the anchor teeth on either side of the gap. A false tooth, also known as a pontic, is then constructed with materials such as porcelain, alloys, gold, or a mixture of these materials to fill the gap.
How exactly a dental bridge works depends on the type chosen. The most common types of dental bridges include:
- Conventional Bridge
Conventional or traditional dental bridges are modern dentistry’s most commonly used devices. They consist of dental crowns cemented onto the abutment teeth on either side of the gap. These crowns are attached to the pontic, which fills the gap where a tooth was once missing.
- Maryland Bridge
Like a conventional bridge, a Maryland bridge consists of two abutment teeth, one on each side of the gap. Unlike a traditional bridge, which uses dental crowns over the natural teeth for support, a Maryland bridge uses a porcelain or metal framework bonded onto the back of the abutment teeth.
- Cantilever Bridge
Cantilever bridges are similar to conventional bridges but with one main difference. With this type of bridge, the pontic is secured with a crown cemented onto just one abutment tooth. This means using a cantilever bridge with only one natural tooth next to the gap.
What are Some Reasons to Get a Dental Bridge?
While dental bridges are not suitable for everyone, they can be beneficial in certain situations.
Bridges can help restore your ability to speak and chew properly. Fewer teeth can cause discomfort, uneven wear and tear, and possible tooth loss, impacting your bite and ability to make everyday speech sounds. Replacing missing teeth makes it easier to chew and articulate words.
Filling gaps in your mouth where teeth once were can also improve your appearance and help you smile confidently. Tooth loss can significantly impact your self-confidence if your face’s shape is affected. A dental bridge can prevent your face from sinking in after tooth loss and fill in gaps for a more beautiful smile.
Another reason to get a dental bridge if you’re missing one or more teeth is to improve your oral health and prevent oral health problems in the future. When you have a gap, the adjacent teeth are more likely to shift toward the gap, leading to a misalignment. A dental bridge can fill in the gap, preventing your other teeth from moving or shifting.
Some patients may be concerned about the speed or discomfort of the procedure itself. Dental bridge treatment is a relatively quick procedure that can be completed in as little as two visits, the first for preparation and the second for placement. Most patients experience little to no discomfort during and after the procedure.
Restore Your Smile with Dental Bridge Treatment
Dental bridges offer patients a secure and affordable way to replace one or more missing teeth. If you have gaps in your mouth due to missing teeth, consider procedures such as dentures, dental implants, and other options. At Artistic Touch Dentistry, we offer a wide range of general and cosmetic dentistry services to help you recover your smile.
Contact Artistic Touch Dentistry today at 321.724.1400 to schedule an appointment with our Melbourne, FL, dentist.