Dental Bridges
Several treatment options are available for severely weakened or decayed teeth, but often a tooth is irreparable, leaving an unflattering gap in your smile. Gaps in the teeth may severely undermine your morale and may also have a detrimental effect on the functionality of your other teeth and general mouth use, as the remaining teeth can change with time, resulting in misalignment and a variety of other dental issues.
Dental bridges address the gap left by a missing tooth by utilizing an artificial tooth that appears and behaves identically to your natural tooth.
In addition to providing smile makeovers to residents of Long Beach and the surrounding areas, we also provide the following restorative dentistry services in Long Beach: White Fillings, Full Mouth Reconstruction, Root Canal, Bone Grafting, Restoration Treatment, Dental Crowns, and Dentures.
Dental bridges are made up of two or three crowns for the teeth on each side of the gap that function as anchors for the artificial tooth/teeth that will fill in the gap in your teeth.
Once in operation, the dental bridge should be almost unnoticeable. Anchoring teeth are frequently referred to as abutment teeth, whereas artificial teeth are commonly referred to as pontics.
Pontics may be constructed of a variety of materials, including metal alloys, gold, or porcelain, based on the desired cosmetic finish. If you prefer porcelain, they can be color-matched to your real teeth for a truly natural appearance.
A dental bridge has a host of advantages. They are capable of:
- Prevent your remaining teeth from shifting position.
- Help you bite and/or chew properly.
- Correct your bite.
- Properly align your jaw.
- Maintain the shape of your face.
- Give you a great smile.
There are three primary types of dental bridges, and the type recommended by us can differ based on the location of the broken teeth in your mouth.
Traditional Bridges
The most often prescribed remedy for broken teeth is a conventional bridge. It entails the fabrication of crowns for the teeth on each side of the gap, which serves as anchors for the pontic that will lie in-between them. Traditionally, bridges are constructed of porcelain bonded to ceramic or metal.
Resin-Bonded Bridges
Often known as a Maryland bonded bridge, this style of bridge is made of a number of materials, including porcelain glued to concrete, full porcelain, or sometimes plastic teeth and gums that are protected by a porcelain or metal structure. The bridge’s wings, which are usually constructed of metal or porcelain, are securely attached to your natural teeth.
CANTCAEVER BRIDGES
Cantilever bridges are used if there are no existing teeth on either side of the gap that may serve as anchors. Cantilever bridges have been associated with issues in the past when they were found to put excessive strain on the anchor tooth, resulting in disruption and even breakage.
At least two trips to the dentist are needed for the placement of a dental bridge. Our dentist will do a careful inspection of your teeth at your first dentist appointment.
After administering a local anesthetic, our team will file away enough of the enamel on the abutment teeth to render them thin enough for the crown to go over them entirely. Then, the dentist will take impressions of your teeth to serve as a reference for the dental laboratory that will be making your dental crowns, pontics, and bridges to ensure a better match. Finally, a temporary bridge will be placed over the abutment teeth and gap to protect them until the permanent bridge is completed.
When your bridge is complete, you will be asked to return to the dentist’s office to get your temporary bridge removed, and your permanent bridge fitted. This will take several visits to ensure the cover and fit are flawless. Before your bridge is permanently cemented in position, our dentist may recommend a ‘trial run.’ This is the stage in which they are implanted with a temporary adhesive to ensure that they are comfortable until permanent cement is used to secure them in place.
