Getting Your Perfect Smile Through Dental Bridges
Teeth aren’t just for chewing. They play a vital role in the body, health and self-esteem. While it’s true that teeth are crucial for chewing food and preparing for digestion and absorption of nutrients, teeth are also important for proper speech and communication. Missing teeth cause speech problems. They can cause a person to mispronounce some words; and can cause major problems when making certain speech sounds.
Teeth have a huge influence on our appearance and therefore on our self-confidence. Missing front teeth can cause embarrassment and fear of ridicule. Missing molars can cause the cheeks to be depressed and the jaws more prominent. A person with missing teeth usually appears older than their actual age.
Even the loss of a single tooth feels uncomfortable. Patients complain of food retention in the edentulous space during meals. Patients with missing front teeth can be very insecure about their appearance. They often go to great lengths to avoid smiling or revealing the space between their teeth.
There are several treatment options available to address the problem of missing teeth. Traditionally, dentures have been the main treatment option. If only a few teeth are missing, a removable partial denture can be used. For a completely edentulous (dental) patient, a full denture can be used. Both partial and full dentures are removable.
Fortunately, there are better and more permanent options available today. There are two treatment options that provide a solid dental solution: dental implants and dental bridges. Both treatment options are widely used with great success in restoring function and aesthetics. The best procedure to perform in any given case will depend on the patient’s needs and wishes, their budget, and their existing dental health.
Dental implants
A patient who wishes to have dental implants undergoes a thorough medical and dental interview to ensure that the patient is a good candidate for the procedure. Of particular importance is the health of the jawbones.
A nickel-titanium lead is surgically placed in the jawbone. The number of posts to be placed depends on the number of missing teeth. A single missing tooth would require one pole, while a full arch would require six poles. The post will serve as an anchor and support for the fixed dentures. Part of the pole is embedded in the bone and a small portion is seen clinically in the mouth. That small part that is seen clinically would be the fulcrum of the dental prosthesis (the dental implant).
Healing of the gums (gums) and bone usually takes about three months. The bone surrounding the post should completely heal and conform to the post within that time. That process is called osseointegration. Proper osseointegration ensures that the post becomes stable enough to serve as an anchor for the implant.
Once the healing is successful and the prosthetic teeth are in place, the transformation can be spectacular! Patients leave the dental office with a beautiful new smile and fully functional teeth.
Dental bridges
Dental bridges are another option to treat missing teeth when the patient has a short-term toothless gap (ie only one or two missing teeth). As with dental implants, the dentist will obtain a complete medical and dental history prior to treatment. Unlike a dental implant procedure, removable dental bridges do not require surgery. The entire treatment can usually be completed in about 2 weeks.
The teeth next to the toothless space are used as abutments. Those teeth serve as anchors for the prosthetic teeth in the edentulous space. The piers have been reduced in size, so that sufficient space remains for the placement of the bridge. The dentist makes an impression and sends it to a lab technician to make the bridge.
After the prosthesis is made, it is returned to the dentist, who makes the necessary adjustments so that the bridge is a good fit for the patient. Once the correct fit and comfort is achieved, the bridge is cemented in place. Whether the patient is receiving dental implants or a dental bridge, the patient should continue a daily oral hygiene regimen along with regular dental checkups and cleanings.
Dental bridges are used by dentists to replace missing teeth. Having a big smile is the first thing people will notice about you. Having dental problems can be painful and embarrassing. You can color everything you do. Sometimes the only option for pain relief is extracting the tooth. This can leave a hole in your mouth where the tooth used to be.
Nobody wants to be toothless. Even if the tooth is in the back of your mouth, it can be uncomfortable to chew, so getting the tooth repaired can really improve your situation.
How do they work?
Dental bridges are so named because they are connected between two healthy teeth. The false tooth is usually attached to a plate that is placed in the mouth, then the plate is attached to a healthy tooth with a metal clip on each side, usually the type constructed in this way can be removed from the mouth. In some cases, the bridge is built without plaque, cemented directly onto the two healthy teeth on either teeth side. Many people don’t realize how important it is to keep so many of their own teeth.
Two crowns on either side of the false tooth to hold it in place. This type of bridge is called a fixed bridge. It has a disadvantage or in some cases can be a great advantage that fixed bridges cannot be removed from the mouth such as removable partial dentures. The bridges are actually cemented in place, so they cannot be removed for cleaning. Therefore, special care should be taken with natural teeth. Special dental floss is used to clean the space under the bridge. One cannot feel free from gum disease and must visit the doctor monthly or in some cases weekly.
Types of Dental Bridges
Dental bridges are made of a variety of materials, including porcelain and metal, as well as stronger materials such as zirconia and aluminum oxide. A cosmetic dentist will discuss the best material to use to fill the space for your missing tooth. Today there are three dental bridges that are widely used for patients and professionals to choose from, namely:
A fixed bridge – A fixed bridge fills a gap by connecting an artificial tooth between 2 crowns. Crowns are used to support the bridge and are cemented to the adjacent teeth in the space so that the artificial tooth looks and feels natural in the open space. A fixed bridge is not removable.
A Maryland bridge – A Maryland bridge is usually used for the front teeth as it doesn’t put as much pressure on it unlike the back teeth which do most of the chewing. A resin-bonded bridge, the Maryland bridge has metal wings or porcelain wings attached to the artificial tooth that bond to the adjacent teeth on either side of the gap area.
A cantilevered bridge: A cantilevered bridge is also placed by bonding it to an adjacent tooth, similar to a fixed bridge. However, a cantilevered bridge only attaches to a single tooth. It is mainly used when there are no teeth on both sides of the open area.
