Dental bridges are part of the restorative dentistry services that can replace one tooth or several missing teeth. While dental bridges can complete your smile once again, they do not come in one-size-fits-all options. After asking your dentist which bridge is right for you and getting fitted for it, you start to enjoy the benefits. A dental bridge helps you enjoy eating again because you no longer have exposed gums. Remaining teeth will not shift out of position, because your bite will be evenly distributed. A bridge also maintains the shape of your face shape and improves your smile.
Dental bridge benefits
:Dental bridges are used for
Maintaining the Patients Natural Facial Shape
A dental bridge can help you keep the shape of your face. Tooth loss leads to bone loss, and with bone loss, the patients facial shape will alter, becoming smaller and sagging. By holding the place of the tooth and preventing shifting, as well as providing limited stimulation for the jaw, dental bridges may help to prevent bone loss
Cosmetically Enhance your Look
Missing teeth can be embarrassing. When a patient has a missing tooth, they tend to compensate by not smiling as often or as big, and some patients may speak and chew quieter or smaller so that no one can see the gap. Dental bridges help to restore the natural beauty of the patients smile.
Restore your Chewing Function
Patients with missing teeth often chew unbalanced or eliminate foods from their diet altogether. To reduce heavy wear on other teeth, and for proper chewing function, we want our patients to chew evenly across their teeth. A bridge can restore proper function.
Preventing Drift
Missing teeth leaves room for neighboring teeth to shift. Frequently, patients question us thinking it can be positive to have this room, teeth are often overcrowded, but, the difference is the lack of control. When an orthodontist decides to remove a tooth due to overcrowding, they then move the neighboring teeth in a controlled matter. Open spaces that allow teeth to just freely move means that they are moving out of control. This can greatly adjust your bite, and rarely for the better. Dental bridges are very effective in preventing existing teeth from drifting or shifting out of place.
Correcting Bite Issues
Dental bridges are a valuable tool for keeping neighboring teeth in position, for allowing a patient to chew their food evenly distributed, and to assist in keeping the jawbone healthier than it would be with gaps.
Types of Dental Bridges
Dental bridges are made up of two or more crowns on teeth (“abutment teeth”) that are placed on either side of a gap with a false tooth in between. These false teeth (“pontics”) can be made from materials like gold, porcelain, alloys (or a combination of all three). Dental bridges are supported by natural teeth or implants and, if properly cared for, can last 15 years or longer. The four types of dental bridges include:
Traditional Dental Bridge
most popular dental bridge requires a supporting tooth on each side of the missing tooth. These teeth will become the pillars that support your new false tooth. The enamel on the adjacent teeth will need to be removed in order to fit your dental crowns. Impressions of these teeth will be made following this “prepping procedure” to ensure your bridge will fit perfectly with the rest of your smile.
Cantilever Dental Bridge
Cantilever bridges only require a person to have one tooth prepared for a dental crown, and the abutment is placed on the outside of that tooth. This type of bridge is necessary when:
A tooth isn’t present on the other side your missing tooth
It’s not aesthetically pleasing to have two crowns
An adjacent tooth already supports another pontic.
Maryland Dental Bridge
Like a traditional bridge, a Maryland bridge can only be used when there are two supporting teeth to secure the pontic. However, instead of a dental crown, the Maryland bridge bonds either metal or porcelain to the back of the abutments. This is not always the best option because of its lack of strength.
Implant-supported Dental Bridge
Instead of crowns or bonding, a dental implant can be surgically placed in the jawbone to hold the false tooth into position. For this option, you will need one surgery to insert the implant into the jawbone and a subsequent visit to our office to position the bridge. For this reason, implant-supported bridges are the strongest option, but the overall treatment timeline can take several months.
Composite Bridge (Ribbond or just bonded composite)
people with one or two missing teeth who are looking for an easy and affordable solution to their replacement issue, a composite bridge often fills the bill. There usually made and installed in one dental visit, in which a composite bonding material (which is the plastic tooth filling material) is placed directly into the missing space
Patience is a virtue and a work of art when recreating a missing tooth with a composite material. Furthermore, you must be very careful with this bridge because of the de-bonding and chipping qualities of the materials used in the design. A reinforced wire or ribbon known as Ribbond can be used to provide more strength to a composite bridge. Similar to Maryland bridges, composites are considered temporary and can be used by people with periodontal disease who put off removing their compromised teeth until the very end
Types of Materials
After debtist evaluates your teeth and gums, he will discuss the different materials that are available to you. These include:
- Metal:This material is typically used for the back of the mouth and extremely worn teeth. Precious metals like gold are known to fit better and help you maintain better oral health. Although this material is extremely durable, it’s not as aesthetically pleasing
- Porcelain: Because of its visual appeal, porcelain is extremely popular, especially for front teeth. However, it is more fragile than metal. Zirconia is a new type of porcelain that is durable and natural-looking.
- Metal-porcelain hybrid: This option is created with a metal framework and porcelain outer shell to give you the best of both worlds
The fit of these materials is extremely important to block out bacteria that cause tooth decay and gums and bridge failure. Ask dentist which material will best suit your needs
The Dental Bridge Process
After your initial consultation with dentist, and the patient has determined to proceed with a dental bridge, the dental bridge process will then begin. dentist will first review your oral health through examination and with the assistance of digital x-rays
The first step for designing a dental bridge is to prepare the abutment teeth for attachment. This involves contouring the shape of the teeth by removing enamel to make room for a crown to be placed on them. This means that we are taking steps to permanently alter your anchor teeth. Once the teeth are shaped, impressions will then be made of your bite and your teeth which are sent off to a dental lab for fabrication. While your bridge is being constructed by the lab, doctor will make a temporary bridge for you to wear, this will protect your gums and existing teeth until your new permanent bridge is ready
Once dentists have received your dental bridge from the lab, they will contact you for a second office visit. Your second appointment will involve the fitting and placement of your new dental bridge. The temporary bridge will be removed, and your new metal or porcelain bridge checked for proper fitting. dentist will adjust as necessary until the perfect fit and bite are achieved. If the bridge that you are receiving is a permanent bridge dentist may add a temporary cement at first and have you return within a few weeks to ensure a perfect fit remains. Once dentist and patient are both satisfied with the fit, doctor will then permanently cement it into place
Caring for Your Dental Bridge
In most cases, a dental bridge can last a lifetime if cared for properly. Even if they come loose or fall out, dentist can often recement the device in place, and even make some repairs when needed. dentist will always check the status of your bridge during your regular dental examinations. Also, just as you have been taught your whole life, the most important step in ensuring the longevity of your bridge is to practice good daily oral hygiene
As always, keeping your gums and teeth healthy through daily brushing with the appropriate fluoride toothpaste twice a day, and flossing every night before you go to bed, will help you keep your remaining teeth, and your bridge healthy and strong. Even with a dental bridge, patients are still subject to bacterial infections, either under the bridge, or their soft tissues. In fact, allowing plaque to remain along the rim of your bridge can have a significant impact on your dental health. That is because in many cases, the patient is not aware of the decay until they are in pain. You want to make every effort to keep your teeth and prosthetic devices clean and healthy. By maintaining good oral hygiene, and scheduling regular prophylaxis or dental cleaning appointments, it is not unusual for your dental bridge to last more than ten years
In addition to keeping your bridge clean, you will want to protect your device from damage. Your bridge is subject to cracking and breaking if not used correctly. Avoid chewing hard foods and objects, chewing ice, hard candies, and more can cause breakage in your bridge
?How durable are dental bridges
Getting a dental bridge from a professionally trained dentist will save you from frequent dental visits and will help you attain a dental bridge that has the capacity to last for around 5-15 years. When you get a dental bridge, it is very important that you maintain oral hygiene and take precautions as prescribed by your dentist