Tooth loss, even the loss of just one tooth, could mean serious trouble for your oral health. To fill the gap in your smile with a lifelike replacement, we could create and place a dental bridge! In today’s blog, your Prairie Village, KS, dentist talks about how we can complete your smile with a unique and custom dental bridge.
The Factors Behind Tooth Loss
Why do we lose natural teeth? This could happen for several reasons. For example, you could sustain a serious injury to your face or jaw. Untreated tooth decay or infection could cause a tooth to be lost or to require extraction to prevent the spread of infection. The most common cause is actually the advanced stage of gum disease, known as periodontitis. Our team will examine your smile to assess the cause of your tooth loss, in case we need to treat the underlying issues to protect the rest of your smile. We can then offer a bridge to fill the gaps and keep your smile properly aligned and full.
Designing and Creating Your Bridge
To begin, we will gently numb the teeth on each side of the gap, known as abutment teeth, and then remove structure from them. Once we do, we will take detailed digital images and measurements of them. In a lab setting, we will use the information gathered to design and craft your new prosthetic. The prosthetic will contain a new tooth or as many as three in a row, with crowns on each end. Made from ceramic, this will be durable and also able to be color-matched to blend with your smile.
Options for Securing Your New Teeth
For a traditional bridge, we will connect the crown portions to the abutment teeth we prepared, which secures your new teeth firmly in place. This option lasts about 10 to 15 years, and may need replacement as the jaw ridge changes shape over time. However, we could also insert one to two dental implants into the jaw and attach the ridge to them, no need to remove tooth structure, and this option keeps the jawbone intact, so the ridge doesn’t change shape and your new teeth can remain in place for decades with proper care and attention. We can help you decide which option is best for your smile.
If you have any questions about our traditional or implant-supported dental bridges, or if you have missing teeth that need immediate attention, then contact our team today to get started.
Learn More About Our Custom Dental Prosthetics
Dr. Browne and his team in Prairie Village, KS, want to provide a full smile again for our patients with missing teeth. When you require restorative and prosthetic treatment, then reach out to our team today by calling 913-901-8585.
