Replace your missing tooth with a dental bridge.

Every tooth in your mouth is designed to help carry out a specific job, like biting, tearing, and grinding food. Their abilities go far beyond these specific tasks, though, as they also work together to keep your jaw healthy, help you speak, and allow you to express emotions. Healthy teeth also help form a beautiful smile, which can even impact your self-confidence and the way you see yourself.

When you think about it, the way they work together to carry out all these tasks is truly amazing! Since each of your teeth is so important, losing one or more of them can impact many aspects of your daily life, including your oral health, the function of your bite, your confidence, and the way you carry yourself.

Whether you’ve lost a tooth to dental trauma, or had tooth pain that turned out to be severe decay leading to a tooth extraction, having a missing tooth isn’t the end of the line! Modern dentistry has several methods to replace missing teeth and protect against the negative effects of tooth loss. If you’re looking into tooth replacement options, you might have heard of a dental bridge as a popular option. 

But what is a dental bridge, what makes it a good treatment option, and is it right for you? We want you to have access to all the information you need to make an educated decision about your treatment, so we’ve put together a guide to help you determine whether this is an option you want to discuss with Dr. Spier or Dr. Roseberg. 

What is a dental bridge?

A dental bridge is a tooth restoration that consists of a crown on either end of one or two false teeth, called pontics. The crowns are permanently placed over the healthy teeth on either side of the gap in your smile, allowing them to fill the gap in your smile by supporting the pontics between them—just like a bridge. Dental bridges are often made from porcelain, and each dental bridge is designed and custom-made. This helps ensure a comfortable, natural fit, but it also means that the size, shape, and shade of your new teeth will blend in with your smile perfectly. No one will even realize that you have a bridge! 

Why are dental bridges a good tooth replacement option?

Getting a dental bridge has several major benefits, including restoring the function of your missing tooth or teeth. The crowns that hold your dental bridge in place give it a lot of strength and security and help it feel more natural, making eating easy again. A dental bridge can even be used to replace your front teeth.

For many people, this treatment’s ability to revitalize the appearance of your smile is just as important as restoring its function because it can be a vital step towards restoring your confidence. It’s easy to take for granted, but there’s something freeing about being able to smile and laugh openly without worrying about the appearance of your teeth.

Replacing your missing tooth with a treatment like a dental bridge is also essential for protecting your future oral health. By filling the gap in your smile, a dental bridge prevents your remaining teeth from beginning to shift into that gap. This sounds minor at first, but it’s vital for your oral health!

By preserving the spacing between your teeth, your dental bridge ensures that it stays easy to brush and floss your teeth, which helps you do a better job of preventing oral health issues like cavities or gum disease. It also reduces your chances of developing TMJ disorder because it preserves the way your bite fits together so that chewing continues to be natural and comfortable. Plus, if you’ve already lost too much bone density in your jaw to qualify for a dental implant, a dental bridge is still a great, affordable option. 

How do you know if you’re a good candidate for a dental bridge or not?

The biggest factors in whether you’re a good fit for a dental bridge are how many teeth you’re missing and your oral health. Dental bridges are generally used to replace one or two missing teeth in a row. If you’re missing more teeth than this in a row, a different treatment like a partial denture might be best.

You also need to have good oral health before you can get a dental bridge, including having healthy teeth on either side of the gap in your smile. After all, those teeth are going to support your bridge, so they need to be healthy to manage that! If you have tooth decay or gum disease, these issues will need to be treated before you can receive a dental bridge. Once your oral health is in good shape, though, you should be able to get your bridge!

If you’re not sure whether you’re a good candidate for a dental bridge, however, the best thing you can do is schedule a consultation with Dr. Spier or Dr. Roseberg. They can examine your teeth and gums and tell you whether you’re a good fit. 

What are the benefits of getting a dental bridge instead of other types of tooth replacements?

When you get a dental bridge, it becomes a permanent part of your smile. This is a major benefit compared to treatments like partial dentures, which are meant to be removed every night, because it makes your bridge stronger and more stable. Between the two treatments, this often makes it easiest to eat comfortably with a dental bridge. For similar reasons, a dental bridge is much easier to care for than a partial denture. The only step you need to add to your regular at-home oral hygiene routine is using a special brush to clean your gums underneath the bridge. A dental bridge is also a relatively affordable tooth replacement option, making it an accessible choice for many people. 

What are the advantages of getting another tooth replacement option instead of a bridge?

Despite the many benefits of dental bridges, partial dentures and dental implants are more effective at replacing a larger number of teeth. It’s dental implants, however, that carry the most advantages over dental bridges. Dental implants are the only tooth replacement option that replace your tooth roots, so they’re the only method that provides your jawbone with the stimulation it needs to protect it from the bone loss that otherwise occurs once you lose teeth.

Since they’re rooted in your jawbone like natural teeth, dental implants don’t need to be supported by nearby teeth. This means that they allow you to avoid otherwise unnecessary dental work on healthy teeth, which is better for the long-term health of those teeth. Additionally, their place in your jawbone means that dental implants are even stronger and more secure than a dental bridge. 

Despite these advantages, a dental bridge is still a good and incredibly accessible tooth replacement option, making it an ideal choice for many people! Implants and bridges both have unique strengths and weaknesses that allow them to meet certain needs differently, so comparing the two treatments can help you determine which is best for you.

Talk with your dentist about dental bridges to see if they’re the right option for you.

Dental bridges provide a strong, low-maintenance, and permanent solution for tooth loss, restoring the function and appearance of your missing tooth. They also protect many aspects of your future oral health, ensuring that it stays easy for you to care for your teeth. If you’d like to learn more about dental bridges or prosthodontics near Buffalo, MN, feel free to schedule a consultation with Dr. Spier or Dr. Rosenberg at any time.