When Do You Need A Dental Bridge?
If you have lost between one and three natural teeth in a row, then this could cause serious trouble with the function, beauty, and health of your smile. To address this gap and restore your smile, you may benefit from a dental bridge. In today’s blog, your Cleveland, TX, dentist talks about when you need a dental bridge.
The Causes and Dangers of Tooth Loss
While losing a tooth could seem minor in the big scheme of things, even one lost tooth could mean trouble for your smile. The gap may cause surrounding teeth to drift from position, a complication linked to dental misalignment. Poor alignment alone is a recipe for cavities, gum disease, and even TMJ disorder and bruxism (teeth grinding). Minor tooth loss could still impact how clearly you speak, and could complicate your meal options too. Missing teeth could occur due to an injury or untreated cavity or infection, but the most common cause is actually periodontitis, the advanced stage of gum disease. We can manage the disease to prevent further tooth loss, and offer a prosthetic to restore full function and beauty to your smile again.
Designing a Dental Prosthetic
To begin, we will need to carefully examine your smile with advanced imaging systems so we understand the cause and extent of your tooth loss. We will also use the images we gather to help design a prosthetic. For a ridge, we will need to remove structure from one or both teeth on either side of the gap in your smile. These are known as abutment teeth. Next, we take impressions that we use to design the bridge. The prosthetic will consist of new teeth with a crown attached to either end. We craft them from materials like ceramic, which can endure serious bite forces and also be color-matched to blend with your smile seamlessly as well.
Your New Dental Bridge
When your bridge is ready, we will attach the crowns to the abutment teeth on either side of the gap. This ensures your new prosthetic stays in place for up to 15 years in some cases. To help it last and safeguard your natural teeth, you need to brush and floss every day, and also clean the spaces between the top of the gums and the bottom of the prosthetic, where food particles could become trapped.
Do You Have Any Questions About Prosthetic Dentistry?
Our team wants to help you obtain a complete smile again with a tooth replacement option. If you have any questions about treating the gaps in your smile, or if you would like to schedule a consultation today, please contact Cleveland Family Dentistry in Cleveland, TX, at (281) 592-1234. You can also find our practice at 205 E. Houston St. Cleveland, TX 77327.