People with missing teeth are more susceptible to jawbone atrophy, gum disease, and tooth decay. Your dentist can replace up to three missing teeth with a dental bridge to prevent these oral health problems. In most cases, the bridge consists of a row of false teeth left in place thanks to a series of dental crowns that go over neighboring teeth. This solution restores your ability to chew and speak.
Looking for an Auburn dentist to repair your smile? Dr. Luminita Markham provides gentle, personalized care to each of her patients. With over twenty years of experience and continued education, you can trust Dr. Markham to give you a natural-looking, beautiful smile.
Thanks to our in-office advanced dental technology, we can evaluate your mouth, prepare your teeth, take digital impressions, and craft and place your bridge in one just appointment. Contact us today at 530-507-8989 to get started.
The four types of dental bridges we offer include the following.
1. Traditional Dental Bridge
Our most popular dental bridge requires a supporting tooth on each side of the missing tooth. These teeth will become the pillars that support your new false tooth. We will have to wear down a bit the enamel layer on the adjacent teeth to fit your dental crowns better. Likewise, we will have to take impressions of these teeth. We do so to comply with our “prepping procedure” and ensure your bridge will fit perfectly with the rest of your smile.
2. Cantilever Dental Bridge
Cantilever bridges only require a person to have one tooth prepared for a dental crown, and the abutment has to go on the outside of that tooth. This type of bridge is necessary when:
- A tooth isn’t present on the other side of your missing tooth.
- It’s not aesthetically pleasing to have two crowns
- An adjacent tooth already supports another pontic.
3. Maryland Dental Bridge
Like a traditional bridge, a Maryland bridge is only a viable option when there are two supporting teeth to secure the pontic. However, instead of a dental crown, the Maryland bridge bonds either metal or porcelain to the back of the abutments. This is a more conservative alternative and won’t require extensive reshapings or additional crowns to hold the bridge; however, it may not always be the best option because of its lack of strength when compared with other options.
4. Implant-supported Dental Bridge
Instead of crowns or bonding, a dental implant, your dental health specialist will use dental implants to place the bridge securely onto the jawbone and hold the false tooth into position.
For this option, you will need one surgery to insert the implant into the jawbone and a subsequent visit to our office to position the bridge. Typically, the team will use a distinct dental implant for each missing tooth. For this reason, implant-supported bridges are the strongest option, but the overall treatment timeline can take several months.
What Materials Are Dental Bridges Made Of?
After she evaluates your teeth and gums, Dr. Markham will discuss the different options and materials that are available to you. These include options that could serve your goals better than others.
The fit of these materials is extremely important to block out bacteria that cause tooth decay and gums and bridge failure. Ask Dr. Markham which material will best suit your needs.
Metal
What type of metal is used in dental bridges? This material generally serves cases focusing on the back of the mouth and extremely worn teeth. Precious metals like gold are known to fit better and help you maintain better oral health. Although this material is extremely durable, it’s not as aesthetically pleasing.
Porcelain
Because of its visual appeal, porcelain is extremely popular, especially for front teeth. However, it is more fragile than metal. Zirconia is a new type of porcelain that is durable and natural-looking.
Metal-Porcelain Hybrid
This option is created with a metal framework and porcelain outer shell to give you the best of both worlds.
Why Would You Need a Dental Bridge?
You may have caught the trend already, but the gist of cosmetic dentistry is to provide you with solutions when you have missing teeth. Dental bridges are great solutions for patients who wish to:
- Restore their smile after losing a tooth.
- Restore function to chew properly.
- Overcome speech and pronunciation difficulties.
- Prevent face shape changes after losing a tooth.
- Prevent tooth malalignment following tooth loss.
How Much Does a Dental Bridge Cost?
As usual, this answer depends on many factors, each unique to every patient. The materials used, preferred manufacturing method, and location of your dentist’s practice could all influence your treatment cost.
Check this other blog post to learn more about the factors that affect your dental bridge cost.
Contact Your Auburn Dentist Today
There are many factors you should consider when choosing the right dental bridge. A knowledgeable, experienced dentist will make the process much easier and less stressful. Make an appointment with Dr. Markham today to discuss your dental bridge options. Call 530-507-8989.
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