An Insight Into Dental Bridges

Young woman getting dental treatment. dental clinic

A wise man once said a smile speaks a thousand words. In that thought, let’s make the most of it. It is fair to admit most of us are not as confident with our smiles. From chipped teeth owing to the childhood playtime antics to the tooth decay from Halloween candy overload, we have all been there. Mistakes from the past tend to define our future, and no matter how politically incorrect it may sound, the perfect smile is a must-have. With that being said, it leaves no space to refute the fact that repairing your smile or, more specifically, your teeth is something plenty resort to, and it makes all the sense. Why wouldn’t it when a minor procedure like fixing a gap with a dental bridge can bring back your confidence, the better ability to chew, and, more importantly, your winning smile? The procedure is an innovation to the conventional methods and has brought a revolution to dental treatments. From root canals to crowning, a dental bridge stands unabated at the top when it comes to the restoration of the teeth. Read on to know more about what is a Dental Bridge, its uses, and the types you can opt for.

What Is a Dental Bridge?

A dental bridge is much like what the name depicts. It’s a bridge meant to replace missing teeth or the teeth that had to be extracted. The bridge clasps onto the real teeth on both ends of a gap to fill out the opening. However, Bridges are an innovative enhancement in tooth repair and come in two versions; detachable bridges and permanent ones. In other words, a “Dental Bridge” is a word used in Pontic for each artificial tooth.

The dentures or dental bridge will occupy the gaps, be it several teeth missing in a row or just a single tooth. The ingenious hack feels and functions just as good as a real set of teeth, and the appearance it gives away is what makes up for its skyrocketing demand. The procedure involves placing the bridge into a gap that holds itself in place by clasping onto the crowns placed on the sides of the gap. The process is a lot safer and more feasible than opting for a dental implant. The latter involves placing each individual teeth into the jaw bone, which takes downtime and is an overall complicated procedure. A dental bridge, however, serves patients to be a relatively pain-free alternative with no downtime. The prosthodontist performs the process rather than a dentist. It is a procedure more suited to patients missing several teeth inline rather than just one.

Uses of a Dental Bridge

– Better digestion of food

Apart from an improved smile, a dental bridge helps patients in many ways. In case the concern is more of a severe one in nature than just improving the appearance of a person like chewing better, a dental bridge can help resolve the issue.

– Improved self-confidence

A dental bridge gives away the most natural results as far as the teeth’ appearance is concerned. It can restore a patient’s confidence and help them live a happier life.

– A pain-free experience

Most people with impaired teeth steer clear from visiting the dentist out of fear of having to endure any sort of pain or discomfort. A prosthodontist will make use of anesthesia for the procedure, which yields a pain-free experience.

In short, a dental bridge is your way to go if you have had decaying teeth that hinders your daily diet, injuries to the teeth from accidents, and lastly, deep-rooted problems like hypothyroidism. The disease can cause macroglossia, something that alters a person’s smile.

Types of Dental Bridges

As the procedure is an improvement to the more conventional methods, it brought about a range of options for the patient to opt for. A dental bridge comes in the following variations:

– A cantilever bridge: The difference lies in the crowning of the bridge onto the teeth. A cantilever bridge makes uses of a single crown, which makes it a feasible option for patients who are looking for a pain-free experience.

– A Traditional Bridge: Making use of two crowns, a traditional bridge, is detachable. The crowns are attached to either side of the gap anchoring the bridge in place.

– Maryland bridges: A popular choice to opt for, the Maryland bridge does not need a crown. The denture is anchored in place by metal frames latched on to the healthy teeth on both ends of the gap. The procedure is non-invasive and is appropriate for a single missing tooth.

Implant-supported bridges: The most expensive of the lot, an implant-supported bridge, is long-lasting and uses dental implants to stay put. The procedure is by far the most reliable and will require some downtime.

Procedure

Much like any dental procedure, the process will begin with a thorough examination of the teeth. Getting a dental bridge will first begin with a consultation with the doctor. The consultation will narrow down your options to what will exactly serve you right. Preparing the teeth that will be holding the crown is the next step. The teeth will be grinded down and treated for any decay or deterioration.

Next, the dentist will take an impression of your jaw. This will help the dentist in getting the gap measured out. The impression will aid in developing the bridge. The gap will be filled out with a temporary bridge while the customized one is designed. This will give you some relaxation time in between.

You will be called back into the dentist’s clinic for the final procedure, that is, the mounting of the permanent bridge itself. Your dental bridge will be ready by now, and the temporary bridge will be replaced with the customized one. Your dentist will fix the bridge using restorative adhesives, and you are good to go.

Note that the above procedure is not applicable to a Maryland bridge as it does not require the crowning. Nonetheless, any bridge you opt for will require two appointments. An implant-supported bridge is, however, a surgical procedure. The implants will need to be inserted in the bone of the jaw. Once that is out of the way, the impressions will be taken, and the rest will follow up as usual.

Once the real bridge is ready, the dentist removes the temporary denture and latches the dental bridge using medical-grade adhesives.

The procedure mentioned above is much the same for cantilever bridges, though only one tooth will need a crown. A Maryland bridge on the other hand is a lot quicker to get done with since the drilling of the crown is not needed. The patient will not be spending more time than just two visits at the clinic.

Vivianne Sterling

Editorial Manager at Beautips. I love street style and I'm always in search of bits of inspiration around me. I also believe in home-made solutions for fitness, beauty tricks and healthy cooking.

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