What are Dental Bridges: Procedure, Types, Cost, and Benefits

Why Do You Need Dental Bridges?

Tooth loss could happen after cavity infection, gum disease, or trauma to the mouth region, especially if you weren’t wearing any protective equipment to shield your mouth from injuries. Fortunately, modern dentistry has availed several procedures to help you restore your teeth, one of them being via dental bridges. Here’s why you need to get dental bridges after tooth loss:

• Corrects bite-related issues
• Improves chewing
• Alleviates pain resulting from extra stress on remaining teeth
• Improves your smile appearance
• Prevents loss of jawbone tissue

What is the Procedure for Getting Dental Bridges?

Here is the step-by-step process to get dental bridges:

• During your first visit, our dentist in Boynton Beach, FL will inspect your teeth to determine if you are a suitable candidate for dental bridges.
• If they find you suited for a dental bridge, they’ll reshape the abutment teeth and prepare your teeth for dental bridge placement.
• Your adjacent natural teeth will need to undergo preparation that will involve partial removal of the teeth’ enamel and dentin to create room for the prosthesis.
• Impressions of your teeth will then be taken and sent to the dental lab to fabricate the false teeth and crowns.
• Your dentist will fit you with temporary bridges to protect your prepped teeth from damage as you wait for your artificial teeth to arrive.
• Permanent fitting of your dental bridge will take place during your second visit.
• Your dentist will remove your temporary bridges and fit you with the custom-made prostheses as they make a few adjustments to ensure your bridges fit correctly and feel comfortable.
• All the steps undertaken during treatment will be painless since your dentist will give you an anesthetic to numb the area where treatment will occur.

What are the Types of Dental Bridges?

There are different types of dental bridges:

a) Traditional Fixed Bridges

It’s the most common type of dental bridge that can be made of different materials such as metal, ceramics, and porcelain fused to metal. It features two or more dental crowns and is connected to one or several filler teeth. The crowns provide additional support to the dental bridge.

b) Cantilever Bridges

This type of dental bridge has a pontic that connects to only one tooth abutment. This best fits people with a missing tooth or teeth on only one side of the tooth gap.

c) Maryland (Resin-Bonded) Bridges

Maryland dental bridges are often used to replace missing front teeth. They are made of porcelain fused with metal or ceramic and are supported by a framework with wings on both sides of the bridge that are bonded to existing natural teeth.

d) Implant-Supported Bridges

Implant-supported dental bridges are similar to traditional fixed bridges but are slightly different since they are held in place by implants instead of natural teeth.

What are the Benefits of Getting Dental Bridges?

There are numerous benefits to getting dental bridges. Below are a few examples:

1) Restores Your Smile

Interacting with people all day is not easy and requires good communication skills and confidence. Unfortunately, dental flaws may cause you to experience low self-esteem, which may negatively affect your social skills. Dental bridges can help improve your smile and, in the process, give you a confidence boost.

2) Makes Chewing Easier

Chewing can be challenging when you have missing molars or premolars. Food particles may also stick on the gaps of missing teeth and be a good breeding ground for bacteria. Get teeth bridges for a better chewing experience.

3) Alleviates Dental Pain and Discomfort

Patients may experience dental pain, sensitivity, and discomfort after losing teeth. The gum area where the missing teeth used to be located is soft and has nerves making the area sensitive to high and low temperatures. Dental bridges can protect this area by filling the gap with an artificial tooth replacement.

4) Prevents Teeth From Shifting

Gaps left behind by missing teeth may cause natural teeth to slowly start shifting from their location. When pressure is applied while chewing, teeth may be forced to move towards the exposed tooth gaps slowly, and with time the teeth will loosen.

5) Improves Your Speech

Losing several teeth, especially incisors, may negatively affect your speech. That is because several words require the combination of the tongue, lips, and front teeth to pronounce correctly. Therefore if you’ve been having trouble speaking properly, visit our dentist at 33426 to restore your missing teeth with dental bridges.

6) Prevents Loss of Jawbone Tissue

Teeth stimulate gums to release nutrients that nourish and strengthen the jawbone tissue. The jawbone gives you your facial features and allows you to perform several mouth movements that enable you to speak and chew. Loss of gum stimulation after tooth loss may cause a reduction in the nutrients supplied to the jawbone. With time, the bone will start experiencing bone loss that will result in facial skin sagging. Dental bridges prevent bone loss from occurring by mimicking the appearance and stimulation provided by natural teeth, which will ensure the gums keep producing nutrients to nourish the jawbone.

What is the Cost of Getting Dental Bridges?

The cost of dental bridges varies depending on the number of teeth to be replaced and the type of dental bridge. Patients with dental insurance may pay less than those without, as their insurance will cater to a part of the treatment cost. Patients with dental insurance may end up paying different fees for the same implants depending on the dental plan they have in place.

Get Tooth Bridges Near You

Dental bridges have numerous benefits and are also long-lasting and affordable. If you have one or several missing teeth & considering getting teeth bridges near Delray Beach, FL, contact Quantum Dental today for a consultation to get dental bridges in Boynton Beach, FL. We’ll do a checkup to determine which dental bridge would best suit your dental needs and give you an accurate quote of the treatment costs.