Dental Bridges
If your dentist has had a conversation with you about fixing a certain part of your smile, and the words ‘dental bridge’ came up, you can bet that they are thinking that this effective procedure is the best for your situation. A dental bridge can be small or larger, depending on how many missing teeth you have. The bridge is simply a false tooth that is bridged between one or two existing, healthy teeth using mechanical fasteners and dental cement.
Every situation is different, but do not worry, there are three types of dental bridges that a dentist can use, so you can be sure that you are getting exactly what you need.
Traditional Fixed Bridge – This method is the most commonly used in recent years. The process involves fitting two crowns over the teeth surrounding the gap where the false tooth will be placed. Once those are properly fitted, the false tooth will be made to match your smile and will be adhered to the anchor crowns for a solid, proper fit.
Cantilever Bridge – When only one tooth is present to act as an anchor for the false tooth, this type of bridge is commonly used. It is important to know that dentists only use this method in areas of your mouth that do not experience most of the bite force your teeth exude.
Resin-Bonded Bridge – Similar to a traditional fixed bridge, a false tooth is placed in the gap, but this method requires the dentist to adhere the false tooth using metal bands and resin that are anchored to the surrounding teeth. This method is not for teeth that experience a heavy bite force.
The Procedure
The entire process will take multiple visits to complete, but each one is a step closer to having a beautiful smile. The first step is to get the anchor teeth, or the teeth surrounding the gap where the fake tooth will be placed, prepared for crowns to be fitted. Normally, the anchor teeth do not need to be adjusted, but there are cases that do require the dentist to take off tiny amounts of tooth in order to have the crowns fit correctly. Once this is done, the impressions are made, just like the way normal crowns are put on. While the crowns are at the lab getting made, your dentist will fit a temporary bridge into the gap in order for you to remain confident in your smile and eat and drink without worry.
Other visits are scheduled when the crowns come back to the dentist’s office, and when the bridge is finally fitted, the dentist will likely need to adjust it to ensure a lifelong, proper fit. You can always make an appointment yourself if you feel that something is wrong or if something is loose, and the dentist will get you in as soon as possible to have that adjusted.
To learn more about dental bridges and how they can work for you, you can Click Here to visit our website, or you can call us at (508) 987 – 8125 to schedule an appointment today.