Losing a single tooth is still a serious cause for concern, and we hope you will find time to see our team for replacement. To take on minor tooth loss, we could craft and secure a lifelike dental bridge. In today’s blog, your Prairie Village, KS, dentist talks about how we replace lost teeth with a custom dental bridge.
The Factors Behind Your Missing Teeth
What causes us to lose a tooth? You could lose one to injury to the face or jaw. Untreated tooth decay or infection could cause tooth loss or require a tooth extraction. The most common cause is periodontitis, the advanced stage of gum disease. You need replacement because nearby teeth could drift from position to cause misalignment. This not only changes the appearance of your smile, but also increases the risk of tooth decay and gum disease. Missing teeth could also strain your bite balance, leading to TMJ disorder and bruxism (teeth grinding). To avoid these issues and feel confident in your smile, talk to our team about a dental bridge.
The Process of Crafting a Prosthetic
The prosthetic will be custom-made for your smile. To begin, we will numb the teeth on each side of the gap, known as abutment teeth. We then remove structure from them and take detailed images of the abutment teeth and the gap, which we will use in a lab setting to design and craft your new dental prosthetic. The new tooth/teeth will be made from ceramic, a strong material that can handle daily bite forces and pressures. In addition, we can shade this material to blend with your smile. The prosthetic will contain new teeth, known as pontics, with crowns on each end.
Securing Your Bridge
Once your dental bridge is ready, you will return to the office so we can check the fit and if necessary, make some final adjustments. Our team will connect the crowns to the abutment teeth, which supports your pontics firmly in place, so you have a complete smile. We can replace one tooth or as many as three to four in a row. The prosthetic can last about 10 to 15 years on average, and we can talk about how to properly care for your new teeth and safeguard your remaining natural ones!
If you have any questions about how we take on tooth loss with a dental bridge, or you have one or more missing teeth, then contact our team today.
Learn More About Dental Prosthetics
Dr. Browne and his team in Prairie Village, KS, want to help you smile with confidence by replacing your lost tooth. When you have one or more missing teeth, then reach out to our team today by calling 913-901-8585.
