A lost tooth, as we know from childhood, can make eating and
drinking a bit more difficult, and it also has a tendency to change our speech,
leaving off harder sounding consonants.
While it can be exciting to lose a tooth as a kid, losing an
adult or permanent tooth is a lot less exciting.
It can make the aforementioned issues appear again along
with a change in the mouth shape, and it can also lead to self-conscious
anxiety issues regarding the appearance of our teeth. Fortunately, dental bridges are designed to make your smile whole again.
Bridging the Gap
A lost tooth leaves a gap between
remaining teeth. Through this gap, liquids, air, and food will pass, making
everyday life a bit more challenging.
A tooth gap toward the front can also lead to accidentally
biting your tongue, as you may not develop the muscle memory to accommodate
pronunciation or chewing with a gap present right away.
Dental bridges are usually comprised of two crowns and a
pontic.
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The crowns anchor the bridge to the teeth adjacent to
the gap.
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The pontic, or false tooth, fills in the gap.
A complete dental bridge will restore speech, chewing, and
drinking to normal once it has been properly fitted. The pontic will look and
function like a normal tooth, and can be made from one of several materials,
allowing you to go for durability or appearance.
It can take several visits to properly fit a bridge, but the
end results are worth it.
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The first visit will involve an x-ray, cast, and filing
of the anchor teeth.
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The second visit a few weeks later will be installing
the bridge.
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A few more visits may be necessary to adjust the fit
and ensure proper bite before all is said and done.
A Bridge Too Far?
For teeth at the end of an array, a bridge isn’t really an
option. These teeth experience much higher levels of force and as a result
would be more likely to fracture when chewing.
Even still, there is an option for bridges
that would only have a single tooth to anchor tooth. They are known as
cantilever bridges and use a crown to anchor to the nearest tooth without
anchoring to a second, supporting the pontic alone.
They aren’t very common and are very prone to breaking,
especially toward the back of the mouth, but they can be used to improve
appearance if desired.
For the Crown
If you don’t wish to file down teeth adjacent to a gap, and
they are in good condition, you may want to go with the Maryland style bridge,
which is resin bonded to adjacent teeth.
The pontic is built around a metal or porcelain framework
that supports the tooth, but it is anchored to adjacent teeth using resin
rather than a crown.
The durability of a resin bonded tooth is lower than a
traditional bridge, but the appearance will look natural and it allows you to
retain original teeth in an unaltered state.
Maintaining Your
Dental Bridges
Even though the pontic is a false tooth, it is still very
important to take good care of the teeth surrounding it.
You’ll be able to drink, chew, and speak normally once the
bridge has been installed, and proper hygiene such as brushing your teeth,
flossing, and using mouth rinse will prevent bacteria from latching onto the
pontic or adjacent teeth and causing them to wear down at an accelerated rate.
On average, dental bridges will last about 10 years, but
with constant proper care, it’s not uncommon to see them last longer than 15
years. Regular visits to your Memorial dentist to clean and
maintain all of your teeth, including dental bridges, will provide for a long
lifespan of the bridge.
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