Dental Bridges Raleigh NC

• Option for Replacing Missing Teeth
• Dental Bridge Options
• Benefits of Dental Bridges
• Procedure Overview
• Dental Bridge Materials
• Dental Bridges FAQs
• Dental Bridge Reviews Raleigh

Option for Replacing Missing Teeth

All of your teeth play an important role in speaking, chewing and in maintaining proper alignment of other teeth. Tooth loss doesn’t necessarily have to occur as you age, but if you do lose teeth they must be replaced to maintain proper function of your mouth. Fortunately, there are options for correcting tooth loss.

Get answers to common questions about dental bridges!

Dental Bridge Options

A dental bridge — a device used to replace missing teeth — attaches artificial teeth to adjacent natural teeth, called abutment teeth. Bridges are either permanently attached (fixed bridges), or they can be removable.

Fixed bridges are applied by either placing crowns on the abutment teeth or by bonding the artificial teeth directly to the abutment teeth. Fixed bridges are bonded into place and can only be removed by a dental professional. Fixed bridges offer more stability than their removable counterparts.

Removable bridges are attached to the teeth with metal clasps or by precision attachments. Removable bridges, as the name implies, can be taken out and cleaned.

If you’re missing one or more teeth, you may be aware of their importance to your appearance and dental health. Your teeth work together for many daily functions from eating to speaking. With missing teeth, it’s difficult to do these things. Missing teeth can and should be replaced. Fixed bridges are a great way to restore your dental health and appearance.

Benefits of Dental Bridges

Oral functionality and appearance are important reasons for wearing a bridge. A bridge helps support your lips and cheeks. The loss of a back tooth may cause your mouth to sink and your face to look older.

Dental health is the most important reason for a bridge. Teeth were designed to complement each other. Unusual stresses are placed on the gums and other oral tissues when teeth are missing, causing a number of potentially harmful disorders.

Increased risk of gum disease has proven to be one of the worst side effects of missing teeth and can be minimized with a bridge.

Missing teeth can cause speech disorders as they are used to make many of the sounds we use to speak clearly.

Procedure Overview

The attachment procedure usually takes two or three appointments to complete. At the first appointment Dr. King will prepare the teeth on either side of the gap by removing a portion of the enamel and dentin.

Since the bridge must be fabricated very precisely to ensure correct bite and to match the opposing tooth, digital impressions of the teeth are taken and sent to a lab where the bridge will be constructed.

Fixed bridges are typically cemented to the natural teeth next to the space left by the missing tooth. A pontic (false tooth) replaces the lost tooth. Dental crowns, which are cemented onto the natural teeth, provide support for the bridge.

Dental Bridge Materials

Bridges can be constructed from gold alloys, non-precious alloys, porcelain, or a combination of these materials. Porcelain is often bonded to either precious or non-precious metal.

Dental Bridges FAQs

• How do I take care of my bridge?
• What is a dental bridge?
• What are bridges made of?
• When is a dental bridge a good option?
• Are there any disadvantages to dental bridges?
• What is the procedure like?

How do I take care of my bridge?

A strict regimen of brushing and flossing will keep the bridge and surrounding teeth clean. This is of critical importance as the bridge relies on the neighboring teeth for support.

What is a dental bridge?

A dental bridge is a fixed prosthetic appliance that fills the gap in a smile. When a tooth is missing, a bridge is attached to the surrounding teeth with a prosthetic tooth at its center, spanning the gap.

What are bridges made of?

Bridges can be made of porcelain, ceramic, zirconium or gold and metal alloys.

When is a dental bridge a good option?

While a dental implant is often the preferred choice for tooth replacement, there are some cases where a dental bridge is the best option. This is true when the adjacent teeth need crowns anyway, bone levels are too low to support an implant, or the patient’s medical history is unfavorable for implants.

Are there any disadvantages to dental bridges?

The main disadvantage to a dental bridge is that the procedure includes the removal of healthy tissue on the neighboring teeth, which must be prepared to support the bridge.

What is the procedure like?

Just as with crowns, bridges are performed over two appointments. During the first appointment, the adjacent teeth are reduced as necessary and an impression is made. A temporary bridge is placed and then you will return to us two weeks later for placement of the permanent bridge.

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