A dental bridge can secure a replacement for a single missing tooth, or as many as three in a row, all without the need for oral surgery. The results are lifelike, and the dental prosthetic can stay in place for years to come. In today’s blog, your Shrewsbury, MA, dentist talks about how we secure tooth replacement with a dental bridge.
The Impact of Losing a Tooth
What happens to our smiles when we lose a tooth? We could suffer from tooth loss due to an injury to the face or jaw, or even as a result of an untreated cavity or infection. The most common factor behind adult tooth loss is actually periodontitis, the advanced stage of gum disease. When you lose a tooth, this gap could allow nearby teeth to shift, creating dental misalignment. There could also be pressure on your jaw joints, increasing the risk of TMJ disorder and bruxism (teeth grinding). The missing tooth could also be a source of embarrassment, and may impact how you eat and speak. But we can help address tooth loss with a nonsurgical dental bridge!
Planning Your Custom Prosthetic
To begin, we will need to prepare your smile and gather the information necessary to create a custom dental bridge. We first numb the teeth on each side of the gap in your smile. These are abutment teeth, and we remove structure from them to make room for your new teeth. Our team will take detailed images and measurements of these teeth and the gap itself, and then use the information in a dental lab setting to design and craft your finished product. Made from ceramic, we can shade the prosthetic to blend with your smile, and the prosthetic will be able to handle daily bite forces and pressures with ease!
Securing Your Dental Bridge
The prosthetic will contain one or more new teeth, known as pontics, with crowns attached to each end. Our team will connect the crowns to the abutment teeth, which secures your new ones firmly in place. The prosthetic can last between 10 and 15 years on average, and we will discuss how to brush and floss it as you would natural teeth, and how to clean the space between the top of the gums and the bottom of your prosthetic.
If you have any questions about our custom and lifelike dental bridges, or if you have missing teeth you want to see addressed, then contact our team today.
Schedule a Visit for a Custom Replacement Teeth
The team at Modern Dentistry of Shrewsbury in MA are ready to help you enjoy a durable and lifelike solution to your missing tooth. To schedule an appointment with us, call our office today at 508-842-8838.
