We know that a missing tooth can be a source of embarrassment, but more than that, this can lead to serious issues with oral health and bite function. We can help address the gaps with a custom dental bridge. In today’s blog, your Columbia, TN, dentist talks about how we place our custom dental bridges.
The Causes and Complications of Tooth Loss
When we lose our teeth, this could cause serious trouble for your oral health. Missing teeth could be due to injury, severe infection, or advanced decay, or in most cases, the advanced stage of gum disease. When you have a gap in your smile, the surrounding teeth could actually drift from position, and the resulting misalignment not only changes smile beauty, but increases the risk of cavities and gum disease. For others, the stress on your jaw joints from bite balance could lead to related disorders like TMD and bruxism (teeth grinding). Your body will also suspend the flow of key nutrients to the jaw around the missing roots, causing these areas to lose mass and density, and increasing the risk of further tooth loss. But with dental prosthetics such as bridges, we can help you avoid these complications!
Creating a Custom Dental Prosthetic
Each dental bridge we provide for our patients has been custom-made to ensure a lifelike appearance and comfortable fit, so you enjoy a properly balanced bite and the ability to enjoy your favorite foods again. The prosthetic contains new teeth, known as pontics, with crowns on one or both ends. We create the prosthetic from ceramic, which can be shaded to blend with your smile and also absorbs daily bite forces and pressures with ease.
Securing Your New Prosthetic
We have two options for securing your dental prosthetic in place. The traditional option is held in place with crowns connected to the abutment teeth, the ones on each side of the gap in your smile. These tend to last about 10 to 15 years, requiring replacement every few years as the jaw ridge changes shape. However, we could also insert one to two dental implants into the gap, and connect the crowns to these. The implants prevent the jaw from losing mass and density as they act like natural roots. This means your bridge can stay in place for decades instead of just ten years.
If you have any questions about how we support new teeth with a dental bridge, or about the differences between traditional and implant options, then contact our team today.
Learn More About Dental Prosthetics With Creekside Family Dentistry!
Our team wants to help you enjoy a lifelike replacement for your missing teeth. Give us a call today at Creekside Family Dentistry in Columbia, TN at (931) 388-3384 to schedule your appointment!