Dental bridges are long-lasting and very comfortable as a solution for both restorative and cosmetic dental issues. They can bolster your oral health, making your smile strong and confident. And, a bridge prevents jaw bone loss as well as other dental issues that affect oral health due to missing teeth.
What Are Dental Bridges?
A dental bridge is a fixed, long-lasting restoration. It’s designed to replace one or more missing teeth in your mouth. A dental bridge fits comfortably but firmly in your mouth. The bridge will look and function just like your natural teeth. Bridges are custom created for fit by your dentist. Some can be permanently attached through the use of an implant to anchor them.
A bridge consists of two crowns and a replacement tooth or teeth. The crowns are placed on the teeth that are on either side of the space where a tooth or teeth are missing, with the fabricated tooth or teeth attached between them.
Dental Bridges Can Be Supported by Implants
The most secure and permanent way to place a dental bridge in your mouth is by using dental implants. This process provides a natural look and feel. And, the stability of implants used to support bridges make for a very effective solution when replacing multiple missing teeth.
An implant supported bridge is a dental bridge secured to two or more dental implants instead of relying on your adjacent natural teeth for support. When a bridge uses natural teeth for attachment, the teeth are prepared or shaved down to place the crowns necessary to place the bridge.
This is not an ideal way to support a bridge compared to using implants, because once the bridge is placed, the natural teeth are subjected to increasing stress. This can be potentially damaging, especially if the existing tooth, roots, or surrounding bone structure are already weakened or compromised.
Using dental implants to support the dental bridge instead allows stable, permanent placement that helps to support the teeth around the bridge, and helps the continued health of your gum and bones.
A stable, supportive implant-supported bridge is a superior method for a number of reasons, including the fact that dental implants work to replace tooth roots in the mouth through the use of durable titanium alloy. Because of this, both the implant fixture and the abutment last a very long time - most usually for a lifetime.
With good oral hygiene and regular dental cleanings from your dental team, dental bridges can last more than 10 years. Certain types of bridges, such as implant supported bridges, will last longer than that. However, it’s important not to bite nails or use your teeth as tools to open things when you are wearing a bridge, just as it is important not to do so with your own teeth and risk chips or cracks.
Ready to Learn More about Dental Bridges?
If you want to know more about dental bridges or dental implants, reach out to us today. Our dental team is ready and waiting to answer questions, or schedule a consultation about dental bridge treatment.