Dental Bridge 101

Having gaps and spaces in between your teeth affects not only your appearance, smile, and confidence, but will also impair your dental structure. If left untreated, missing teeth can cause the surrounding teeth to shift thereby affecting your facial structure and bite. At Bella Via Dental clinic, we offer a variety of dental solutions to fix gaps and dental bridges are one of the solutions.

What Are Dental Bridges?

Simply put, dental bridges just close the gaps between your teeth. The bridges or pontics are made of two crowns fixed on adjacent teeth of the gap. Although front teeth dental bridges are the most common, you can have any teeth bridge or closed down.

You can choose between porcelain, alloy, gold or a mixture of these materials. The material chosen will depend on the number of missing teeth and cost.

Apart from closing the gaps, dental bridges can also help to maintain the shape of your face and maintain the dental structure.

What Types of Dental Bridges Are Available?

There are three types of bridges available and they include:

• Traditional bridges are commonly used and are designed with two crowns fixed in adjacent teeth. These bridges are ideal if you have healthy teeth and gums.
• Cantilever bridges are similar to traditional ones, but instead of both teeth, they are fixed on one side of the teeth.
• Maryland bridges are less commonly used as they are resin-bonded.

What Does the Procedure Involve?

The dental bridge procedure will depend on the type of bridge you choose, but on average you need two dental visits.

1. First dental appointment
The initial appointment is for dental assessment and diagnosis. Our dentist may perform an x-ray to assess your structure and choose a suitable dental bridge. He will also discuss the procedure and the risks involved.

Your enamel is trimmed to make room for the bridges. Don’t worry, local anesthesia is used numb the gum and reduce pain. The dentist will take an impression of your teeth for molding the crowns.

2. Second dental consultation
On your second appointment, the permanent bridges will be fixed using laser light and special cement. The dentist may schedule a follow-up to appoint to check how well the gums are responding to the bridges.

Dental Bridges and Implants; Which One Is Better?

Both the dental bridges and implants address the same problem but have a distinct process. Dental implants not only offer a firm and permanent support but don’t require any alteration to your healthy teeth. On the downside, dental implant surgery is invasive and you need to have enough bone density. Failure to have the required bone density will subject you to other surgeries and treatments.

Dental bridges do require trimming of the enamel are semi-permanent and they can last up to 15 years with proper care. However, the bridges are ideal if you don’t want an invasive surgical procedure. Plus, the recovery process is fast because you only need two dental visits. With dental implants, it can take up to 12 months to get a new set of teeth.

What Happens After the Dental Procedure?

You may experience discomfort and sensitivity in the first few days. Additionally, you need to consume a soft diet for a week, until the gums and tongue get used to the bridges.

Although bridges don’t have special dental care, you still need to have proper hygiene to prevent decay. Also, make a point of coming for your bi-annual dental checkups. That is the only way the dentist can detect any dental problems in advance.

Are There Any Complications?

No, but the bridges can fail due to certain factors such as:

• Tooth decay. If the bridges are poorly fitted, they could create an environment for bacteria to fester and cause decay.
• Bridge failure can occur if you eat and chew hard objects
• Gum infection

Come for Your Smile Makeover

If you are looking for dental bridges in Mesa, come to Bella Via Dental clinic for treatment. We have a dental team dedicated to giving you the best treatment for your missing teeth.