If you lose a tooth, other than a wisdom tooth, we strongly suggest replacing it sooner rather than later. Even if you aren’t worried about having a gap in your smile, a missing tooth affects your remaining teeth and your bite, as your natural teeth can drift towards the gap.
A dental bridge is a straightforward way to fill that gap. Just like it sounds, a dental bridge will quite literally “bridge” the gap left by a missing tooth. It is secured by dental crowns fitted over the teeth adjacent to the gap. These crowns are attached to a replacement tooth called a pontic, forming a strong, natural-looking semi-permanent restoration. A dental bridge is cemented onto your natural teeth and can only be removed by our Newcastle dentist.
What Is the Process for Having a Dental Bridge?
Initially, we will need to examine your teeth and especially those teeth used to support the bridge. These teeth must be relatively strong and healthy because they will need to absorb the additional stress created by the pontic tooth as you bite and chew food. Once we have confirmed a dental bridge is a viable option, we will need to prepare your teeth.
Because the adjacent teeth are covered with crowns, we must remove some tooth structure. Otherwise, the crowns would look and feel much too big and bulky in your mouth. We prepare your teeth using a local anesthetic to make sure you don’t feel anything, carefully shaping them so they are ready to be crowned.
The next stage is to take a dental impression of your teeth; we use a digital impression system that is far more comfortable and much more accurate than conventional impression trays filled with goopy impression material. Instead of a tray, our Clarington dentist scans your teeth with a small handheld device. Once we have taken the impression, we can immediately check it on our computer screens, making sure it is perfect before sending it to the dental lab.
Our dental lab will make your new bridge to our exact specifications, in a shade of porcelain that blends in beautifully with your natural teeth. The modern porcelains used to make these restorations are incredibly lifelike. We can also make your new bridge entirely metal-free using ceramics only, which is especially desirable when restoring front teeth and where aesthetics are very important. While your bridge is being made, we protect your teeth with a temporary restoration.
Once the bridge is ready, you return to West Bowmanville Family Dental so we can try it in, making sure the fit is perfect and that it looks good and feels comfortable. You will get the chance to see the bridge at this stage. When we are satisfied with your bridge’s fit and functionality, and you are happy with the appearance, we bond it onto your teeth.
Are There Any Alternatives to Having a Bridge?
One possible alternative is to consider having a dental implant in Courtice. Unlike a dental bridge, an implant is self-supporting, so we wouldn’t need to shape the adjacent teeth. This can also be a useful option if the adjacent teeth aren’t strong enough to support a bridge or are missing. If you are interested in this solution, we will carefully assess your dental health and medical health to make sure implants are a suitable choice. We will need to consider whether you have enough bone height and width to support a dental implant.
If you need a new tooth, we will always discuss all possible solutions, including dental bridges and dental implants.
