Dental Bridges
Losing a natural tooth can have a lot of adverse effects on your oral health and aesthetics. You may not be able to bite or chew food as you always used to. It may be uncomfortable or painful in some instances, as a lot of stress is applied to the adjacent teeth. Most importantly, you could feel too conscious of your facial appearance when you talk or smile, which may embarrass you while socializing. Hence, we suggest getting an extracted natural tooth replaced with a prosthetic one at the earliest.
What are your options?
When you visit the dentist for a tooth replacement, a thorough diagnosis will be conducted. Based on the results, the various available options will be discussed with you, which could include dental implants, dentures, or bridges. Out of these, the simplest one would be a dental bridge. It is a combination of a prosthetic tooth made from ceramic coupled with dental crowns on either side to hold it firmly in place.
What are the advantages of dental bridges?
- Since bridges are made from dental-grade porcelain, they can be customized to match the exact appearance of the natural teeth. This keeps them in disguise and avoids being spotted easily.
- Dental-grade ceramic is a highly durable material. Its rate of wear is similar to that of the natural enamel, which is negligible.
- Bridges are long-lasting restorations. With optimum care, they easily last for several years without any hassle.
- As a dental bridge completely fills the gap left by the missing tooth, the adjoining teeth are kept from drifting from their orthodontically right positions. This also helps to maintain facial integrity and prevents the onset of malocclusion.
- Bonding dental bridges would not require surgery. The procedure can be completed in a short time, and the healing period is minimal.
- You will be able to bite and chew food as always. However, avoid biting hard objects or tearing open plastic bags with the teeth, as this could damage the prosthetic tooth.
What is the procedure involved?
When you visit our dental practice for a consultation, we will run a thorough diagnosis and take x-rays of the mouth. This helps to determine the spacing between the teeth and understand if the adjoining teeth have drifted from their positions. The data from the oral scans will be used to make a digital impression of the prosthetic tooth, which will be sent to a dental laboratory for fabrication.
During the next visit, the dentist will thoroughly clean the teeth and prepare them for the bonding process. An etching solution will be applied on the teeth to roughen their surface, after which the bridge will be placed on them. It will be checked for perfect fit and comfort, and any necessary changes will be made. Once the restoration is finalized, it will be bonded to the teeth using dental adhesives. The bridge may be polished to enhance its appearance.
Please schedule an appointment online or call us at 503-747-5607 to consult with our dentist, Dr. Surface, and we will be happy to assist you further.
