When you have a missing tooth or several missing teeth in your mouth you will be affected in many ways. The most common habits like smiling, eating properly and talking will become difficult and force upon you do need to find replacements for the missing teeth in your mouth. Your appearance will also be affected and when you visit the dentist near you for advice he or she will suggest dental bridges that can address many of the problems you are facing including:
- Restoring your smile.
- Restoring the ability to chew properly, speak and pronounce words.
- Maintaining the shape of your face.
- Re-adjusting your bite to distribute the chewing forces properly.
- Preventing the remaining teeth in your mouth from going out of their current positions.
Why Consider Dental Bridges?
Your dentist can bridge the gaps in your smile created by the missing teeth with dental bridges. A dental bridge is also known as a Pontic that is positioned in place by the abutment teeth on both sides of the Gap. The Pontics can be made from a different material but porcelain is popularly used as the chosen material because it can blend aesthetically with your natural teeth. If you are suggested dental bridges by the dentist near you and decide to research the varieties available you will be happy to understand you have four varieties of bridges you can choose from. They are the traditional, cantilever, Maryland, and implant-supported bridges.
A traditional dental bridge will have a false tooth or teeth held in place by dental crowns that have been bonded on the abutment teeth. Among all the varieties available a traditional bridge is the most popular and can even be used when you have natural teeth on either side of the gap created by the missing teeth.
A cantilever bridge a similar to a traditional bridge but the Pontic in this variety is held in place by a dental crown that is bonded to just a single abutment tooth. Cantilever bridges just require a single natural tooth adjacent to the gap created by the missing tooth.
Maryland dental bridges are also similar to a traditional bridge but make use of two natural abutment teeth on either side of the Gap. While traditional bridges used dental crowns on the abutment teeth a language will use a framework made from metal or porcelain that cemented on the backs of the abutment teeth. Despite being similar to traditional bridges Maryland bridge is only useful if you have a natural tooth on both sides of the Gap left behind by the missing tooth.
Implant-supported bridges make use of dental implants without relying on crowns or frameworks. Generally, one implant is placed surgically for every missing tooth for them to hold the bridge in position. If an implant cannot be inserted for every missing tooth the bridge may have a Pontic suspended between a couple of implant-supported crowns. This is considered to be the strongest and the more stable system but requires a couple of surgeries to be completed. It can also take a few months for the procedure to be finished.