The sole purpose of dental bridges is to replace one or more missing teeth in your mouth. Beside their cosmetic advantages, dental bridges are also used to replace the missing teeth and with that restore the ability to speak and chew properly. Dental bridges will instantly improve your smile and give back the confidence you used to have.
As the name suggests, dental bridges bridge the gap between one or more missing teeth. Now, bridges can either be cemented on a supporting teeth or in some cases, fixed on an implant that has been placed right to the missing teeth. The whole process involves removing the root of your broken teeth and installing a temporary bridge that will be replaced later on with a permanent one. It’s dentist’s obligation to choose a matching tooth that will look like your natural one. In order to keep a natural smile, your dental bridge should match the size and the colour of your existing teeth.
In addition, the empty space caused by a missing tooth or teeth can lead to a serious misalignment in your mouth. Surrounding teeth may start to shift into that place and cause serious jaw alignment problems. These teeth are more prone to gum disease decay, as they are harder to clean.
Normally, it will take two or three visits to complete the whole cosmetic treatment. On your first visit, your dentist will prepare the supporting tooth by shaping and reducing its size in order to make enough room for the artificial tooth (usually a crown). The crown will slide over the supporting tooth and serve as a holder of the pontic (the false tooth). Next, your dentist will insert a temporary bridge to protect the abutments. On your second visit, the permanent bridge will be placed and adjusted to ensure proper fit and function as well. If the bridge fits perfectly, your dentist will cement the bridge permanently into the place.
Once the entire process is successfully done, you might feel a bit of discomfort or pain when biting, but only for few days. Nothing serious. Consult with your dentist before taking any pain medications. Most insurance companies don’t cover the dental bridge procedures, so be prepare to pay the whole cosmetic treatment yourself. Ask your dentist if he/she offers any dental discount plans for such procedure. If so, weigh your options.