Dental Bridges for missing teeth
If you are missing one or more teeth in a row, you may be embarrassed by the smile’s appearance. But permanent tooth loss is more than an aesthetic concern; it can be severely detrimental to your oral health. Missing teeth can lead to bone loss, teeth shifting, increased risk of gum disease, and loss of biting ability. If you are interested in treating your missing teeth, we can help. At Dr. Bostani’s Advanced Dental in Burbank, California, we offer dental bridges as an effective and long-lasting solution.
Why you may need a dental bridge
Dental bridges are custom-made prosthetic appliances that fill in the space where one or more teeth in a row are missing. Your teeth are made to work together to help you with everyday functions such as eating and speaking. Even the loss of a single tooth can make it difficult to perform these tasks. Furthermore, a missing tooth or teeth can cause other teeth to shift out of place, which can change your bite and cause damage to adjacent teeth.
The dental bridge procedures
Fixed dental bridges are anchored in place by dental crowns that are placed on the teeth on both sides of the gap. Artificial teeth called pontics will fill in the space of the missing teeth.
During the first visit, the teeth are prepared for the dental crowns by removing a portion of the enamel, which allows the caps to fit snugly over the teeth. Images and impressions are also taken and sent to a dental laboratory for custom fabrication of your restoration. In the interim, a temporary bridge can be placed to protect the teeth while you are waiting for your permanent bridge.
Once the permanent bridge is ready, you will return to the office for final placement. The bridge is checked for proper fit, and minor adjustments can be made before it is cemented into place.
The process for implant-supported bridges also requires multiple visits to the office to complete. In this scenario, the bridge is anchored by metal posts that are inserted into the jawbone to simulate the missing tooth root. The bridge appliance has artificial teeth attached to a tooth-colored base affixed to the metal posts.
Implant-supported bridges require oral surgery, so candidates for this restoration must be in good oral health and have adequate bone structure to support the implants.
Dental Bridges in Burbank, California
If you are ready to address your missing teeth and want to learn more about dental bridges, please call Dr. Bostani’s Advance Dental at (818) 918-5533 to book your appointment.
Before & After Results
Traditional Crown and Bridge restorations have a long history of restoring function to broken down and lost teeth. Today, Zirconia material allows us to place metal-free restorations that function in a high capacity as well as allow us to prevent the ‘dark lines’ that previous restorations showed.