Dental bridges are a fixed dental restoration built from two crowns and a structure to support artificial teeth to replace those missing from your jaw. Bridges are often built from porcelain and designed to blend with your remaining natural teeth. Dental bridges in Dryden are a common and routine solution for the loss of multiple teeth, however, that tooth loss was caused.
If your dentist in Dryden has recommended a dental bridge or you are researching effective solutions for your tooth loss, you may have several questions about bridges and how they are designed and fit. The best way to get those questions answered is to arrange a consultation with a dentist near you. In anticipation of a consultation with a dentist, and as a guide to your research, we’ll try to provide basic information about bridges and try to answer common questions about them.
Step One – A Consultation
At an initial consultation, your dentist will conduct a thorough examination to confirm you are a good candidate for a dental bridge. This process will include dental imaging of your mouth and jaw. If this examination reveals any underlying dental conditions which may undermine the stability of crowns, your dentist will recommend a treatment plan to resolve those underlying conditions.
Following the assessment, and assuming you are a good candidate for a dental bridge generally, the dentist and their staff will describe your options to have CEREC crowns prepared while you wait that day or at an external laboratory.
Step Two – Preparing Your Teeth
Your dental bridge will be supported and anchored to teeth on either side of the gap in your jaw via crowns. To accommodate those crowns without adding any bulk to them requires the removal of a small amount of material. Your dentist will reshape those natural teeth to hold your crowns after numbing the area so you’ll experience no discomfort.
Step Three – Constructing Your Bridge
The process of building your bridge will depend, in part, on how many teeth are being replaced, where those teeth are located, and whether you are opting for same-day crowns or externally prepared crowns.
Same-Day Crowns
Your dentist will use special dental imaging techniques to provide information to computer-aided design (CAD) and manufacturing software. Your dentist in Dryden will upload that information into a computer system in their office, which will guide a milling machine to prepare your bridge out of ceramic while you are waiting in the office.
Externally Prepared Crowns
If a dentist near you has recommended crowns be prepared by an external laboratory, your dentist will prepare moulds of your teeth, which mold will be sent to a laboratory where technicians will prepare a crown specifically for your mouth and missing teeth.
Whichever option you select for the construction of your bridge, your dentist will fit and bond the crowns at each end of the bridge to your natural teeth, and will then bond your replacement teeth — called pontics — to the structure of your bridge to fill the gap in your jaw.
What To Expect After Your Bridge Is Placed
It will take a little getting used to living with dental bridges in Dryden, especially if you have lived without teeth for a prolonged period of time. Maintaining your dental bridge is as easy as maintaining your natural teeth. You simply need to brush twice daily, floss daily, attend dental checkups twice a year, and have your teeth cleaned naturally. Beyond being concerned about the bridge itself, though, it’s essential to pay particular attention to the health of your natural teeth. The integrity of your bridge relies significantly on the health of the teeth that support the crowns adjacent to the gap in your jaw.
To take that first step toward replacing your missing teeth with pontics supported by a dental bridge — perhaps even in a single day — contact a dentist in Dryden to ask for an assessment of your suitability for dental bridges in Dryden.