Dental Bridges – Marysville, OH
Get Rid of Your Smile’s Gaps
Losing a natural tooth is never a good thing for an adult. When that happens, your grin’s looks worsen, and your oral health declines. Things get even worse if you lose several adjacent teeth. Still, there’s a good solution for that latter problem: dental bridges in Marysville! These devices can replace several pearly whites at once, given some help from Dr. Miller. Just keep reading to learn more or book a visit with our office soon.
What is a Dental Bridge?
A dental bridge is a fixed restoration for your smile. It usually consists of unique materials fused to either side of a pontic (i.e., a replacement tooth). Given that fact, it’ll often clasp onto your other natural teeth for support.
The best dental bridge candidates are patients who’ve lost several adjacent teeth. After all, they can often restore their smiles with a single treatment. Most adults can qualify for dental bridges otherwise. So long as your oral health is good, they don’t have strict requirements.
The Types of Dental Bridges
You must consult our dentists before a bridge treatment. That way, they can assess your smile to see if the procedure might help. They’ll gladly draft a custom treatment plan if they believe a dental bridge suits you.
Once they’ve examined you, our dentists will suggest one of two types of bridges. These kinds are:
Traditional Dental Bridge
A traditional dental bridge is the more well-known kind. For years, it’s been made of a replacement tooth fused to two (or more) dental crowns. It thus relies on nearby natural teeth – “abutments” – to keep itself in place.
The traditional bridge is often the less expensive type. However, a dentist can only place it by altering your tooth structure. That means they must remove some enamel from your abutments.
Implant Bridge
An implant bridge (per its name) is a type that uses dental implants. These latter restorations are directly placed in your jawbone and slowly fuse with it. By doing so, they ensure the bridge connected to them is firmly rooted. The final appliance won’t loosen or fall like other prosthetics can.
Thankfully, an implant bridge doesn’t alter your tooth structure. The dentist won’t need to “prep” abutment teeth to place it. In exchange, this bridge tends to cost a bit more.
The Benefits of Getting a Dental Bridge
No matter the kind, a dental bridge has many benefits. The most common ones are:
- Straighter Teeth – Smile gaps tend to make your other teeth tilt over time. Dental bridges fill those gaps, thus ensuring these pearly whites don’t shift. Your grin should then stay nice and straight.
- A Lifelike Smile – Dental bridges use porcelain for their material, so they blend seamlessly with your smile. Your peers won’t even notice you have one!
- A Healthier Mouth – By filling your smile gaps, a dental bridge will deprive harmful bacteria of breeding grounds. You’ll then have a greatly reduced risk of oral problems.
- Enduring Results – The average dental bridge lasts roughly 15 years or so. Meanwhile, an implant bridge can reach an even longer lifespan with proper care.
Should you lose adjacent teeth, a dental bridge can restore your grin. So, book a visit to our office really soon!
Dental Bridges FAQs
What Are Dental Bridges Made From?
Historically, dentists relied on repairs made out of amalgam mixtures of powdered metal alloys with liquid mercury as a binding agent. Not only could these materials leave smiles looking dark or dirty, but they could also cause allergies or sensitivity in certain patients.
Today, Dr. Barry uses tooth-colored materials, such as durable ceramic, to provide more lifelike replacement teeth, including dental bridges. These options can be customized to match the size, shape, and tone of your natural enamel for seamless results that no one is likely to notice once your restoration is cemented in place.
Can Dental Bridges Be Taken Out?
Some patients have heard providers referring to partial dentures as ‘removable bridges’, causing them to question whether this treatment is intended to be frequently removed and reinserted like traditional dentures.
But this phrasing is misleading and refers to two very distinct treatments. Partial dentures typically consist of the required number of teeth to fill the gaps in your grin set into an acrylic, gum-colored base with metal clips that anchor to healthy teeth in your mouth so they can be removed and reinserted.
Meanwhile, a dental bridge is an oral appliance that has the required number of teeth placed between a dental crown on each side that anchors to abutment teeth or dental implants on each side of the space in your smile. Once Dr. Barry anchors them in place, they’re usually not intended to be removed except by a qualified professional for repairs or replacement.
How Long Do Dental Bridges Last?
The resilient ceramic used for dental bridges is less porous than enamel, so it can more easily resist chips, cracks, and stains. As a result, these restorations often last for anywhere from 5 to 15+ years, as long as they’re cared for correctly.
However, if you frequently grind your teeth, chew pen caps or fingernails, eat a lot of crunchy or sticky foods, or neglect your dental hygiene routine, your bridge could become damaged, destabilized, or dislodged. You can usually help maintain it by brushing and flossing twice daily, choosing foods carefully, and visiting our team for a routine checkup and cleaning every 6 months.
Does Getting a Dental Bridge Hurt?
It’s normal to feel nervous about rebuilding your smile, especially if you’re worried the process might cause discomfort. Dental bridges aren’t known to cause pain, but you might develop sensitivity in the abutment teeth once they have been thinned so that your restoration fits correctly over them. Our team will numb and/or sedate you before beginning this preparation, so you won’t have to worry about tenderness until after the medications wear off.
You might also feel sore if you’ve had dental implants placed to anchor your new teeth. Associated aches and inflammation tend to peak around the third day following your surgery then gradually subside on their own. It’s often safe to take over-the-counter medications, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen, to address discomfort and swelling as needed.