Unfortunately, children aren’t the only ones who lose teeth. It is all too common for adults to lose teeth due to trauma or decay. If you are missing one or more teeth it not only affects your smile, but your bite as well. Teeth are meant to work as a team, if one or more are missing the whole system is thrown off. Dental bridges are a simple, yet sturdy solution to restore the structure of your smile.
What is a Dental Bridge
Dental bridges are used to replace and restore missing teeth. False teeth, called pontics, are used to replace the missing teeth. Pontics are most commonly made of porcelain to match your existing teeth. The false teeth are then secured to adjacent teeth to make the bridge. There are four different methods for securing a dental bridge.
Types of Dental Bridges
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Traditional
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Cantilever
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Maryland
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Implant Supported
Traditional Bridge
Traditional bridges are secured with dental crowns. This method is best used when there is natural teeth on either side of the gap. The teeth adjacent to the gap are filed down and crowned. The false teeth are placed and then cemented to the new crowns. Traditional dental bridges are very common and reliable.
Cantilever Bridge
This type of dental bridge is nearly identical to a traditional bridge. The only difference is that it only uses one natural tooth as the anchor. This dental bridge is not nearly as stable, but is used when only one adjacent tooth is available.
Maryland Bridge
The Maryland bridge also requires two adjacent teeth, but it is secured differently. A structure is made of metal or porcelain and placed behind the false teeth to secure them to the surrounding teeth. This method requires less work to be done to the natural teeth, but is not as stable as a traditional bridge. It is not always recommended to use this bridge for molars, but is a perfectly valid option for replacing other teeth.
Implant Supported
The implant supported bridge is ideal if more than one tooth is missing. Implants can replace all the missing teeth, or be used along with pontics to restore missing teeth. Implants are very secure and comfortable, they create a very realistic replacement for missing teeth.
Eagle Rock Dental Care of Rexburg is your trusted Idaho dentist for dental bridges and implants. Don’t live with missing teeth any longer. Contact us today to get your smile restoration started. You can even request your appointment online. Don’t suffer any longer, let’s get your smile back to its original glory.