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Restoring Your Smile with Dental Bridges


For many reasons, one may lose a tooth or some teeth. Having a gap may not only impinge upon the self-esteem ─ having missing teeth could mean that some teeth may move out of position, leading to chewing and biting issues.

A dental solution that your dentist could suggest is a dental bridge. This consists of one or two fabricated crowns, which will cover the teeth or the implants either side of the gap. These crowns act as dental-bridge anchors, providing a false tooth to fill the gap.

Fabricated crowns are made in dental laboratories. Crowns will match your own teeth and look as realistic as possible. In some cases, these crowns or false teeth are not made of porcelain, but out of alloys, gold, or a combination of these materials.

Your dentist can select between three main types of dental bridges. These include:

1          Traditional bridges. The dentist will make use of a crown for the teeth or implants either side of the gap, with a false tooth in between. Commonly, the bridges are made of either porcelain fused onto metal, or of ceramics. 
2          Your dentist will use cantilever bridges if there are teeth only on one side of the gap. This sort of dental bridge is not routinely used, not being very strong. It will also not be placed at the back of the mouth, as it may be damaged by chewing.
3          Another option your dentist may suggest is a resin-bonded bridge, also called a Maryland bridge. This dental bridge is made of porcelain fused to metal, porcelain, or even plastic teeth that are supported on a metal or porcelain frame.

The process of acquiring a dental bridge

This is an invasive procedure, in that parts of your healthy teeth that will form the anchors, will need to be prepared. Parts of those teeth will be removed to make space for the crown to be attached.
After some of the enamel has been removed, an impression of the teeth will be made. The dental laboratory will then make the temporary model that includes the bridge, the false tooth, and crowns. This temporary bridge will be applied while waiting for the laboratory to make the new, permanent bridge.

Once the bridge has been completed, you will then need to return to your dentist, who will fit the bridge by cementing it in place. The dentist will check that the bridge fits perfectly. It is possible that you might have to return several times, until the bridge fits 100% correctly.

Recovery time

Obtaining dental bridges may be a lengthy process: you will need to wait for the bridges to be manufactured.  Then there are painful procedures at each of the various stages. The recovery time is rather lengthy, however, it is manageable.

During the first visit, when the anchor teeth are prepared, you will experience some pain for which your dentist will prescribe painkillers. This pain will diminish after a few days.

After first the temporary and then the final bridges are fitted, you may experience a problem when eating. It is best is to eat soft food at first, however, do eat foods like healthy soup, or cut your food into small pieces or process it. A healthy diet is important in speeding up your recovery.

Complications

The lifespan of a dental bridge is roughly 5 to 15 years. Bad dental health will reduce this time span, while proper dental care, with regular dental check-ups can extend the lifespan of your bridges.

Dental bridges come with certain issues. In that they are not removable, it is difficult to keep them clean. In addition, when the bridge is attached, some enamel will be removed from your own teeth: such enamel cannot be replaced. More problematic is that the bridge will be dependent on the teeth it is attached to. If for some reason those teeth decay, your bridge will collapse. It is therefore important that you go for regular check-ups. Because cleaning your bridge is difficult, your risk of decay in the adjoining teeth is high. 
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