Living with missing teeth can be tough, causing you to shy away from sharing your smile and making everyday activities like eating more difficult. At the office of iSmile Dental, we provide top-notch solutions for replacing missing teeth, including fixed dental bridges. Our goal is to help each patient enjoy the benefits of a complete and radiant smile.
When you lose teeth, it can set off a chain reaction that affects your overall dental health and jaw function. The adjacent teeth may start to drift or tilt into the open space over time, while teeth on the opposite side might slowly move downward toward the empty area. Considering these potential consequences, replacing missing teeth is crucial. A dental bridge offers one of the best options for preventing the effects of shifting teeth, rebuilding a full smile, and restoring complete function to an edentulous area.
A conventional fixed dental bridge is a tried-and-true method for care. It replaces missing teeth with artificial ones called "pontics", deriving support from the adjacent, prepared and crowned natural teeth. The number of adjacent teeth that need to be crowned and prepared depends on how many teeth are being replaced and where they're located.
Once made and fitted, a dental bridge will be permanently fixed or cemented in place. Like crowns, conventional bridges are meticulously designed to mimic the appearance of natural teeth and create a comfortable, functional, and healthy bite.
Today, dental implants offer a versatile and cutting-edge option for replacing missing teeth. Unlike conventional fixed bridges, they preserve the integrity of adjacent natural teeth. Dental implants function much like the roots of natural teeth and provide the support needed for a short or long-span fixed bridge without having to prepare and crown any natural teeth. As they fuse with the surrounding bone during a process called osseointegration, they eventually acquire the strength and stability necessary to handle the stresses of chewing and other types of oral function. Dental implants also provide ongoing stimulation to the surrounding bone to prevent the shrinkage that often accompanies tooth loss. By maintaining the bone in edentulous areas (areas without teeth), dental implants help support normal facial contours and prevent sagging.
At the office of iSmile Dental, we carefully evaluate every aspect of your smile to create a treatment plan that delivers aesthetically pleasing, healthy, and long-lasting results. Reach out to us today for more information on dental bridges or any services we provide.
