Missing teeth can negatively impact your speech and mastication. This in turn can wreak havoc on your oral health. Prolonged untreated edentulous space can lead to adverse effects like ridge or jawbone resorption, premature aging, and damage to the adjacent natural teeth.
Dental bridges in Fort Myers, FL offered by a highly skilled team of dental professionals help replace one or more missing teeth to enhance your overall oral form, function, and aesthetics.
A comprehensive guide to dental implants
A dental bridge is an artificial prosthesis that can help replace missing teeth. It can replace one tooth or a row of missing teeth. The appliance literally closes the gap that develops between two teeth by acting as a bridge to connect them. Custom bridges are fabricated that match the shade of your natural teeth.
Parts of a dental implant
- Abutment: This is the structure that supports the dental bridge. These actually refer to the adjacent natural teeth.
- Pontic: The artificial teeth that fill the gap left behind by missing teeth.
Types of dental implants
- Traditional dental bridge
- Cantilever dental bridge
- Maryland dental bridge
- Implant-supported bridge
Uses of dental bridges
A dental bridge is indicated for:
- Restoring your smile
- Restoring the ability to chew properly
- Restoring speech and pronunciation
- Maintaining the shape of your face
- Re-adjusting your bite to distribute the forces equally
- Preventing drifting of your remaining adjacent teeth
Benefits of dental bridges
Dental bridges offer the following advantages:
- Offer a natural replacement for missing teeth
- Cost-effective procedure
- Offer permanent solutions
- Highly durable and long-lasting with proper care
- Preserves the health of your jawbone by preventing resorption
Placing a dental bridge
Placing a dental bridge usually requires two to three visits.
The procedure is as follows:
- Your dentist will evaluate your adjacent teeth to determine if they are strong enough to provide anchorage to the missing tooth.
- If necessary, your dentist may perform root canal treatment to the adjacent teeth.
- The adjacent teeth will be prepared using ultrasonic instruments to ensure the dental bridge fits snugly. These act as abutments.
- Full mouth impressions are recorded and sent to the lab for fabrication of the crown.
- Your dentist will select the shade for the bridge crowns according to your natural teeth.
- Once the bridge is fabricated, your dentist will place it using dental cement.
- The bite will be checked, and necessary corrections will be made.
Closure
Missing teeth can leave a gap in your smile, and your life. It refrains you from enjoying a confident look and hinders your ability to chew and speak properly. This can be overcome through dental bridges that are excellent and affordable replacements.
