Missing or broken teeth can be a pain to live with. The jagged edges can irritate your gums and can even cause bleeding. Getting your broken tooth repaired is essential to maintaining a healthy mouth. If the root of the tooth is damaged or missing, a dental implant will be required. However, if the tooth’s root is intact you can have a dental bridge placed instead.
As Salt Lake City’s premier dental office, Reason To Smile dental can help you determine whether a dental implant is needed or if a dental bridge restoration would be best.
Dental Bridges Explained
Dental bridges are essentially false teeth that are attached to the surrounding teeth. They look like three dental crowns that are fastened together. The surrounding teeth are prepared and turned into abutments, support structures, which will secure and stabilize the false tooth. A portion of enamel is removed and impressions of the missing tooth and abutments are made and sent off to a laboratory to be fabricated.
When your dental bridge fixture is sent back from the lab, it will be adjusted and placed atop the abutment teeth. The false tooth in the middle of the bridge will be sealed to the remaining part of the natural tooth using special dental bonding cement. Your dental bridge may need to be adjusted over the course of the first few weeks, so many dentists use a temporary dental cement initially to ensure the bridge is positioned correctly.
Benefits of Dental Bridges
Dental bridges, much like all dental restorations, have a plethora of benefits for you to obtain. A few of these benefits are:
- Replace Missing Teeth: Obviously, the greatest benefit of dental bridges is the ability to replace your missing teeth. This can have far reaching benefits including promoting jaw bone growth, and protecting other teeth from shifting around in the mouth.
- Restore Functionality: Missing teeth can make once simple tasks, like eating and brushing your teeth, difficult. Dental bridges replace your missing teeth and restore strength and functionality to the affected areas.
- Improved Appearance: Not only can missing teeth cause problems in regards to your daily hygiene routine, they can also be an eyesore. Dental bridges replace your teeth and look like your natural teeth so no one will even know that you have a bridge in place.
If you are missing a tooth and are in need of a dental restoration, Dr. Andrew Vernon of Reason To Smile can help you determine whether a dental bridge or dental implant would best suit your situation. You can contact us here or call us at (801) 719-5447 to schedule an appointment at our Salt Lake City office.
