A dental bridge is a great way to address minor tooth loss, so you can avoid the complications of missing teeth. With a lifelike dental prosthetic, this can help you smile with confidence again. In today’s blog, your Ankeny, IA, dentist talks about how we help smiles with a custom dental bridge.
The Risks Associated with Tooth Loss
What happens when we lose a tooth? Losing a tooth could happen as a result of an untreated cavity or infection, an injury to the face or jaw, or in most cases, due to periodontitis, the advanced stage of gum disease. When you lose a tooth, this gap in your smile allows nearby teeth to drift, which creates misalignment, further harming the appearance and health of your smile. Tooth loss is linked to imbalance and the onset of complications like TMJ disorder and bruxism (teeth grinding). You could also have issues eating your favorite foods, or you may feel embarrassed in social situations. But with a dental bridge, we can offer a solution to minor tooth loss, replacing between one and three missing teeth in a row.
Creating Your Dental Bridge
The typical dental bridge will contain a new tooth or teeth with a crown on one or both ends. These are made from ceramic, a material that can handle daily bite forces and be shaded to blend with the rest of your smile. To craft your new prosthetic, we will numb the abutment teeth on each side of the gap and remove structure from them. We then take images and digital impressions of your gap and these abutment teeth, which we use in a lab setting to design and craft your new prosthetic.
Securing Your New Tooth
When your dental prosthetic is complete, our team will check the fit to make sure we don’t need to make any final adjustments to ensure a proper fit. We then connect the crown portions of the prosthetic to the abutment teeth, which secures your new teeth firmly in place. These can last about 10 to 15 years on average, and allow you to smile with confidence and eat your favorite foods again. If you have any questions about how we take on minor tooth loss with a durable and lifelike dental bridge, or if you have missing teeth you want to see replacement, then contact our team today. We want to help you enjoy optimal oral health and a complete smile again!
Dental Impressions Provide Custom Dental Prosthetics
Our team wants to help you enjoy a full smile for years to come! To schedule your appointment and find the right solution for your missing tooth, then call Dental Impressions in Ankeny, IA today at (515) 965-0230.
