Have you lost one or more of your natural teeth? If you don’t address the gaps in your smile, then you may develop serious oral health issues. In order to offer a long-lasting and natural looking solution to missing teeth, we may offer a custom-made dental bridge. How do we create a bridge and how does a person keep one strong and bright?
What Is a Bridge?
We call them this because they literally bridge the gap between your teeth, offering a suitable replacement and improving your smile’s health and function. The prosthetic itself will contain new teeth, typically referred to as pontics. On either side of the pontics will be dental crowns. We use them to replace between one and three missing teeth in a row and with proper care and attention, they tend to offer between 10 and 15 years of quality tooth replacement.
Creating Your Prosthetic
We will begin by removing outer tooth structure from the teeth on each side of the gap in your smile, as these teeth will be receiving the crowns. We then take detailed impressions, which a dental lab uses in the design and creation of the prosthetic. Once the bridge is complete, the patient returns to the office. We place the crowns on the prepared teeth, which secures the new ones. We create the crowns and pontics from ceramic, a strong material that can also be shaded to blend seamlessly with the rest of your smile. We also have an implant-secured alternative. Instead of using crowns, we insert dental implants into the jawbone. We attach the crowns and new teeth to the implants, offering a more secure option that could last decades in some cases.
Maintenance
In order to see a maximum lifespan for your new bridge, you need to take proper care of them. Along with your natural teeth, you need to brush them twice daily for two minutes each time. You also need to floss. These actions help reduce the risk of tooth decay, infection, and gum disease, all of which could compromise your natural and replacement teeth. We may also suggest cleaning the space between the top of the gums and the bottom of the prosthetic, where food particles often accumulate. If you have any questions about addressing your missing teeth, or if you would like to try our custom-made replacement options, then contact our team today.
Don’t Live With Tooth Loss
We have treatment options to address the gaps in your smile. To schedule a consultation and talk about our lifelike dental prosthetics, then call E-Care Dentistry in Olathe, KS, today at 913-210-1701. We also proudly serve patients from Overland Park, Lenexa, Gardner, and all surrounding communities.