Why a Dental Bridge May Be Your Ideal Treatment

According to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), adults in the United States have an average of about six lost teeth from the usual complement of 32. This often means gaps and spaces left behind. 

Though the team at Gables Sedation Dentistry in Miami, Florida, offers dentures and implants, we often recommend dental bridges as a solution for replacing lost teeth. While much depends on your individual situation, a bridge is sometimes the best solution, whether you’ve lost one tooth or several in a row.

Today, we’ll explain how bridge design works and when it’s the ideal treatment. 

Dental bridge overview

Describing an appliance as a dental bridge is literal, as it bridges the gap left by one or more lost teeth. When you think of a bridge over a river, you know that it has fixed points on each side supporting the span over the water. 

A dental bridge uses your natural teeth on each side of the empty space. In its simplest form, a bridge uses the teeth on either side of a missing tooth as abutments, or support elements for the pontic, the replacement crown. Preparing the abutment teeth means removing tooth enamel so that they can support the cemented crowns attached to the pontic between them. 

However, that’s not the only arrangement option available. Dental bridges are very versatile. They can support more than one pontic, or a bridge that extends to one side of an abutment in a cantilevered arrangement. Bridges work with dental implants serving as abutments, or we can bond wings to the rear surface of teeth to anchor your bridge, a technique often used for missing front teeth. 

Candidates for dental bridges

The recommendation for a dental bridge considers many factors. These include: 

• Condition of the natural teeth serving as abutments as well as their location
• Overall oral health of teeth and gums
• Size of the gap and how many teeth are missing
• Your age
• Lifestyle and personal preference considerations

As well as these considerations, there are your needs as a patient. You may want to consider implants as a tooth replacement options when you want to: 

• Retain normal biting and chewing abilities
• Restore speech and pronunciation 
• Maintain your face shape, which can sink around missing teeth
• Adjust your bite to balance wear and tear
• Prevent remaining teeth from shifting

Bridges can also improve the appearance of your smile by filling empty spaces with artificial crowns matched in appearance with your natural teeth. 

Dental bridges are the right choice for patients who want a permanent solution rather than a removable partial denture. Bridges require few changes to your home dental care, while dentures require an additional cleaning process. Dentures are also prone to slipping or popping out of place, whereas bridges are fixed in position. Dental bridges are often a more affordable option compared with implant-based solutions. 

Contact Gables Sedation Dentistry by phone or through our online booking link to schedule your initial dental bridge consultation appointment today.