If you’re missing teeth, it’s natural to feel self-conscious and not want to show off your smile. But you should be able to go out and have fun without having to worry about covering your teeth. A dental bridge is an option for replacing one or multiple teeth. Dr. David Rever of Advanced Total Dental Care, a dentist in Silver Spring, MD, explains more.
What is a Dental Bridge?
A dental bridge is meant to replace one or multiple consecutive missing teeth. They can be either removable or fixed, depending on the situation with each individual patient. They’re supported by dental implants, your natural teeth, or natural teeth that are strengthened with dental crowns.
The Benefits of Alternate Support for Dental Bridges
One of the downsides of dental bridges is that they can cause extra wear and tear on the support teeth. They cause dental enamel to wear faster and can cause a heightened risk of developing tooth decay in these teeth. Because of these reasons, you may want to look into alternate methods of supporting your dental bridge.
One of these methods is strengthening the support teeth with dental crowns. Though dental crowns do require your teeth to be filed down and shaped for a dental crown to go over them, it’ll help you avoid harming your natural teeth and having them suffer from tooth decay. They’ll protect both the dental pulp inside your tooth as well as the enamel on the outside. Learn more about dental crowns.
If you want a restoration that’s permanent, dental implants are a good option for anchoring your bridge. The crowns at the ends of the bridge will connect to an abutment piece on a titanium post that’s implanted in your jawbone. While this option does require some healing time for the implants to fuse with the jawbone, you get a permanent restoration that you don’t have to remove to clean.
The Dental Bridge Process
As with all of our procedures, we start with a consultation with Dr. Rever. He’ll go over your medical history, do a thorough oral exam, and discuss your problems and goals with you. He’ll have to determine if dental implants are a viable option for you if you’re looking into an implant-supported bridge. It’ll also be determined if a bridge is the best restoration option for you.
It’s a multi-step process to get a dental bridge. A digital impression will be done of your teeth so that the bridge can be crafted properly. If you’re strengthening your teeth with dental crowns, they’ll be shaped so that the crown can fit comfortably over the teeth. A temporary restoration may be fitted while your final bridge is being made.
For all of our patients, we make sure they get customized treatment. Dr. Rever will craft the dental bridge so that it matches the color of the rest of your smile. The size and shape of the teeth will also fit in so that it looks natural. We use the highest-quality dental materials to make sure they look like your natural teeth.
A Dental Bridge From Your Silver Spring, Maryland Dentist
Do you think a dental bridge will be beneficial to replace your missing teeth? Call us today or schedule an appointment online.