Tooth loss could lead to issues with the appearance, function, and the overall health of your smile. But by replacing your missing teeth with a custom prosthetic, we can restore your smile and preserve it. In today’s blog, your Dallas, TX, dental practice talks about how we use bridges to address more minor cases of tooth loss.
The Impact of Tooth Loss
We could lose our adult teeth for a number of different reasons. For example, injury, untreated cavities or infections, or the advanced stage of gum disease, known as periodontitis, could cause missing teeth. In fact, periodontitis is the most common cause. Once we lose our natural teeth, the gaps could make clear speech difficult and also impact our self-confidence. You could have trouble eating and the body could also suspend the flow of calcium and phosphorus to the jaw around these lost roots. Without these ingredients, the jaw loses mass and density, gradually breaking down to cause an older appearance and lead in to additional missing teeth. But our team can tackle your tooth loss with a dental bridge.
Creating Your Custom Dental Bridge
A dental bridge is a great way to address a missing tooth or up to three or four in a row. Our team begins by numbing the abutment teeth, the natural ones on either side of the gap. We then carefully remove structure from them and take detailed digital images of these prepared teeth and the gap. In a dental lab, we use the images and measurements to design and fabricate the dental bridge. The prosthetic consists of new teeth, known as pontics, with crowns attached to one or both sides. The prosthetic is crafted from porcelain, which we can shade to blend with the rest of your smile. The material can support daily bite forces and pressure too!
Support with Crowns and Implants
With a traditional option, we will attach the crown portions to the abutment teeth, which secures your new teeth firmly in place. These will last about 10 to 15 years on average. But we can also support them with dental implants! With this option, we don’t remove structure from abutment teeth and instead insert one to two dental implants, which we attach to the crown portion. The implants act as new roots and keeps the jawbone stable and strong, so your prosthetic could last for decades to come, possibly even a lifetime.
If you have any questions about dental bridges, then contact our team today.
Talk To Your Dallas, TX Dentist About Prosthetic Dentistry
Our team wants to help you obtain a complete smile again. If you would like to learn more about our custom and natural-looking dental prosthetic, reach us at Silk Dental Wellness by calling (214)969-SILK(7455).
