Dental Bridges

Dental bridges are artificial prosthetic teeth used to replace the natural ones. They are custom-fabricated according to the contour of the natural teeth using dental-grade ceramic. Crowns are used to support a dental bridge on both sides to provide the necessary anchorage.

How can missing teeth be disadvantageous?

• Missing teeth can result in the loosening of the remaining teeth from their sockets in the jawbone.
• As a missing tooth will leave a space in the jawbone, it makes space for the teeth to drift from their orthodontically right positions. This can lead to malocclusion.
• Missing teeth significantly affect the aesthetics of the mouth.
• It leads to a change in the functionality of the mouth as it affects your ability to bite and chew food.
• They can lead to the shrinkage of the jawbone as a missing tooth would cause loss of bone.

How are dental bridges advantageous?

• Bridges restore the functionality of the mouth.
• They restore the phonetics.
• They enhance the aesthetics of your smile.
• They prevent drifting of teeth, and thereby avoid further loss of teeth.
• They help maintain the shape of the jaws, i.e., the cheeks and the lips.
• With proper care, they last for several years.
• You will not have to frequently visit the dentist's office to get the bridge altered.

Procedure

A bridge would be custom-fabricated to fit in the gap which is left by a missing tooth. Hence, the dentist takes a highly precise mold of the teeth during the initial visit. The dental bridge would be a combination of a prosthetic tooth and two crowns, which are used for anchorage. Hence, before taking the mold, the teeth adjacent to the missing tooth are prepared for the crowns. They are cleaned and buffed, removing a thin layer of the enamel from their surface. The mold is sent to a dental laboratory, where it is used as a reference for fabricating the dental bridge.

Until the permanent bridge is finished, a temporary bridge may be fixed in position by the dentist. Temporary adhesives are used for this purpose so that it can be removed easily. The permanent bridge will be fabricated within a span of a few days. After this, the temporary bridge will be removed, and the permanent one will be bonded in place using dental adhesives. The dentist uses a curing light to harden it, makes any final adjustments, checks for the fit and comfort, and also evaluate the bite.

Care of bridges

Though bridges are made from dental-grade ceramic, which is a pretty durable material, biting or chewing hard foods may damage them. Regular brushing and flossing would prevent staining and also increase the lifespan of the bridges.

Please schedule an appointment online or call us at (408) 371-1070 to have a consultation with any of our Los Gatos Dental Group dentists, and we will be happy to help!