Bridges Are a Great Solution for Replacing Missing Teeth

Life happens…and sometimes teeth are lost because of an accident, injury or even gum disease. Or at other times teeth become weakened because of decay and have to be extracted. No matter what the cause, the effect is a missing tooth (or teeth) that not only detracts from your smile but impacts your ability to bite and chew your food and leaves an open area that can cause a shift in the positioning of the surrounding teeth.

In cases like that, a bridge is a great solution because it contains a prosthetic tooth (or teeth) to take the place of the one(s) that have been lost, and the advantages are numerous. Dental bridges:

• Restore your smile;
• Bring back your ability to chew your food;
• Fill up the gap from a missing tooth so that surrounding teeth cannot drift out of their natural position;
• Restore your ability to bite properly;
• Help maintain the shape of your face that can be affected by a missing tooth or teeth.

While there are a variety of styles of dental bridges and the way that they are secured in your mouth, the type that will be used in any particular situation will depend a lot upon the location of the missing tooth as well as the strength of the teeth on either side. Some of the options are:

• A fixed bridge becomes a non-removable fixture in your mouth. It is stabilized by being permanently attached to the adjoining teeth (called abutment teeth) that have been fitted with crowns made specifically to join to the bridge.
• A removable bridge (also known as a removable partial denture) that attaches to the crowns on either side, but in such a way that the prosthesis can be removed for cleaning.
• An implant-supported bridge that attaches to a surgically implanted metal post that secures the bridge to your mouth without the need to attach to the teeth on either side.

The process for getting a dental bridge is pretty simple and easy. In the first visit, either the dental implant is placed for securing the bridge or the abutment teeth are prepared if a fixed bridge is the option that your dentist recommends.  Then an impression of your mouth is made and sent to a dental laboratory where it will be used to create the bridge. While your bridge is being made at the dental lab, your dentist will make a temporary bridge that you will wear until your permanent bridge is ready.

When the bridge is ready, you’ll return to your dentist’s office, the temporary bridge will be removed and the permanent one will be fitted and adjusted. Follow-up visits may be necessary to tweak the framework and bite so that they fit perfectly, but once the bridge has been fitted and adjusted, it will function well for many years.

Bridges don’t require any “special” cleaning or maintenance, but good daily oral hygiene is necessary to keep the surrounding teeth and gums healthy and strong as a solid foundation for the bridge. It is also imperative that you visit your dentist at least twice a year to check for any problems that can undermine the stability of your bridge.