Bridging the gap in your smile: FAQs about the humble yet mighty dental bridge for tooth replacement
Do gaps in your smile make you feel less than your best? Are you holding out to aching, broken teeth? Park Avenue Dental Care, your home for approachable, accessible, and quality dentistry services in Homewood, Illinois, has a solution: the time-tested dental bridge!
A bridge is a non-surgical way to replace one or many teeth. A bridge uses the adjacent teeth as anchors to support the missing tooth or teeth. With today’s dental advancements, a bridge can be fabricated in a fairly short period of time, using a metal or nonmetal foundation. Don’t let that missing tooth affect the way you speak, eat, and smile. Bridges yield immediate results that last a lifetime. Ask your dentist what type of bridge may be right for you.
What is a dental bridge?
Bridges at the dentist’s office are prosthetic or replacement teeth. They may be used to replace one tooth or a few teeth. Bridges get their name from the fact that they are designed to effectively fill in and “bridge” the gap between two teeth.
How do they “bridge the gap”?
Our dentists, Drs James J. Kreuz, Gregory J. Duffner, and Alex J. Dolinar, apply the bridge to neighboring natural teeth on both sides of the gap left behind by a failed or irreparably damaged tooth. The bridge itself is made up of three parts: at least one prosthetic tooth (pontic) and two crowns. The crowns hold up the pontic and are cemented to the neighboring abutment teeth, which function as anchors. Once fixed securely to the abutments, the bridge fills in the space and replaces the tooth.
Am I a good candidate for a bridge?
Just like architectural bridges, dental bridges come in many different types and designs. Generally, candidates for bridges are missing one tooth or up to around four teeth in a row. You should have some healthy, remaining teeth near the gap, which can then function as abutments to anchor the bridge.
What are my alternatives?
Dental bridges are sometimes called “fixed partial dentures,” a nod to a treatment alternative: the partial denture (or “partials”). Unlike the bridge that is fixed or cemented in place, the partial denture is removable. It connects to the neighboring teeth with special clasps or attachments. We are also happy to discuss bridges that are supported by dental implants. The bridge is held in place with implants secured in the jawbone. In turn, implants mimic the function of tooth roots to stabilize the bridge (as well as a dental crown or complete denture, depending on your needs).
How do I care for a bridge?
Bridges can last long when cared for like natural, healthy teeth, with consistent and thorough brushing and flossing at home and professional services at our office in Homewood, IL. The team at Park Avenue Dental Center also advises on ways to keep your bridge healthy, notably special flossing techniques and products to remove food debris from underneath the bridge. More questions? Call us today at (708) 798-6868.
