Bridges

What is a dental bridge?

A bridge is a tooth replacement that fills the gaps in your smile, relying on the teeth adjacent to your missing tooth for support.

Your false tooth, called a pontic, is held in place by abutments, or healthy surrounding teeth, much in the same way that a real bridge is secured.

Though there are plenty of materials that can make a pontic, such as gold, modern pontics are typically crafted from porcelain to mimic your natural teeth.

There are several types of dental bridges to choose from, including:

• Traditional bridges: One or more pontics connected and held in place by dental crowns.
• Implant-supported bridges: Bridges supported entirely by dental implants.
• Maryland dental bridges: A pontic held in place by either porcelain or metal crowns.
• Cantilever bridges: Pontic is held by an abutment on one side.

Each bridge type has pros and cons, but you count on the experts at Gentle Dental Care to help you decide the right one for you.

Why would I need a dental bridge?

Even one missing tooth can impact anything from your smile to your ability to chew your favorite foods. Some reasons you may want to talk to your dentist about a dental bridge are:

• Trouble chewing
• Difficulties with speech and pronunciation
• Discomfort when biting
• Embarrassment over gaps in your smile

If you’re dealing with a missing tooth or teeth, a dental bridge can help restore your smile and protect your teeth from further damage.

What can I expect from my dental bridge procedure?

Implanting a dental bridge typically takes more than one visit to your dentist, so you should plan on at least two trips.

During the first visit, your dentist takes an impression of your teeth to be used in the creation of the bridge. Gentle Dental Care has an in-house lab, streamlining the process so you can get your dental bridge constructed sooner.

While you wait for your permanent bridge, your dentist places a temporary bridge on your teeth to protect your smile. Once the permanent bridge is ready, you come back to the office to have your bridge installed and adjusted to fit your mouth perfectly.

For more information on whether a dental bridge is right for you, call or book an appointment online with Gentle Dental Care today.