If you are missing one or several of your natural teeth, a tooth replacement option such as a dental bridge may be the most suitable option for you. A dental bridge can fill the gap left by one or more missing teeth and completely restore your ability to speak, chew, and even improve your smile depending on the location. A dental bridge consists of crowns on either side and a false tooth or teeth (known as pontics).
Who Needs a Dental Bridge?
A dental bridge is a sought-after tooth replacement option for patients with one or several missing teeth that are looking for a reliable and long-lasting solution. Missing teeth can be a result of an accident, injury, gum disease, tooth decay, or just due to simple genetics.
Why Opt for Dental Bridges?
Missing a tooth can be problematic for the jaw, as well as negatively impact the neighboring teeth. It’s not uncommon for the adjacent teeth to move into the empty space left by the missing tooth, for you to develop problems like chewing difficulties, bite misalignment, jaw pain due to extra stress, etc. Dental bridges can solve these problems while keeping your teeth and jaw healthy.
What Do Dental Bridges Include?
Dental bridges include abutment teeth and pontics. Our dentist places two crowns on the supporting teeth located on either side of the gap. These supporting teeth can be dental implants or your natural teeth. The artificial teeth or pontics are attached and secured to the crowns.
Dental Bridges Procedure
When you visit Jonathan C. Wang DDS Inc. in Pleasanton, California, for dental bridges, Dr. Wang will first reshape the adjacent supporting teeth to make space for the crowns to be placed.
The abutment (supporting) teeth preparation is followed by taking an impression or scan, which is used to create a model of the crowns and bridge. This is sent to the dental lab to fabricate the crown in the shade needed to match your teeth. Until the permanent bridge is custom-made, At your bridge preparation appointment, Dr. Wang will place a temporary bridge to protect the vulnerable areas in your mouth which you will wear until the lab completes your custom-made permanent bridge.
During your next visit, Dr. Wang will remove the temporary bridge and place the permanent one after making any required adjustments.
What Are the Different Types of Dental Bridges?
Listed below are the different types of dental bridges:
Traditional Bridges
Traditional bridges are the most common type of dental bridge. They consist of two crowns placed on top of the adjacent natural teeth and one or more artificial teeth (pontics).
Cantilever Bridges
These types of bridges use only one abutment crown to support the pontic which replaces the missing tooth. The other side of the bridge has a thin extension of the bridge that rests on a healthy tooth for support at the other end of the bridge. You can opt for a cantilever bridge if you only have healthy teeth on both sides of the gap in non-high stress areas and for single missing teeth.
Implant-Supported Bridges
These bridges are similar to traditional bridges only they use dental implants instead of existing teeth with crowns (abutments) to support the pontics.
Please call Dr. Wang at Jonathan C Wang DDS, inc. in Pleasanton, CA at (925) 399-6835 or request an appointment online.