It can be difficult to go through life without your complete smile. As embarrassing as tooth loss can be, this issue can affect more than just the way you look, or the confidence you feel when you smile or speak. A single missing tooth can force you to change your bite function. Until the problem is addressed, the teeth at either side of a gap can be more vulnerable to being lost, and your compromised bite can lead to problems with pain and stiffness. At our Ankeny, IA dentist’s office, we can recommend placing a dental bridge to close your smile gap and make your smile appear complete again. Because this appliance is permanently set in place, and because it is meant to be a long-term answer to problems with tooth loss, you may have questions about it. Before moving forward with treatment, we can help you understand the benefits of prosthetic dental work, and you can learn about alternative treatment options, such as the placement of a permanent restoration on a dental implant.
Are You Tired Of Living With An Incomplete Smile?
Living with an incomplete smile can mean losing confidence in the way you look, struggling to bite and chew without difficulty, and even an increased risk of losing more teeth. Through the placement of a permanent restoration, we can help you regain confidence in your appearance and dental function. If your tooth loss is connected to poor periodontal health, we can discuss your options for having the condition managed so that it does not cause more losses.
Let’s Discuss The Placement Of Your Dental Bridge
So how does a dental bridge stay in place securely enough to let you bite and chew without problems? When a custom bridge is constructed, it will have a pair of dental crowns along with the replacement tooth, which is called a pontic. When those crowns are put in place on teeth surrounding your smile gap, they effectively hold your restoration securely enough to let you bite, chew, and speak with the confidence that your bridge will stay in place. This arrangement lets us restore your full smile permanently without oral surgery.
Other Options For Restoring Your Incomplete Smile
While dental bridges help patients enjoy lasting improvements after losing teeth, this is not the only approach that we can take to caring for your incomplete smile. Another option involves the placement and restoration of a dental implant (or multiple implants). Implants are put directly in your jawbone, where they will operate like artificial roots to hold teeth in position. In addition to providing stability for restorations, implants stimulate the jawbone and keep you from losing mass.
Talk To Your Ankeny, IA Dentist About Receiving A Dental Bridge
Our dentist’s office in Ankeny, IA is ready to help individuals who have experienced tooth loss. To find out how a dental bridge can help you, call Dental Impressions today at (515) 965-0230.
