Dental Bridges Scottsdale, AZ

If you suffer from missing teeth due to disease, tooth decay, or injury, there are several options available to restore both the health and appearance of your smile. Implants, dentures, and bridges are the most common options to consider, each having unique advantages. If you’re missing one or two teeth, have healthy gum tissue, and otherwise, your teeth are in good health – a dental bridge may be just the solution to repair your smile.

What is a Dental Bridge?

A dental bridge is a device that works to literally “bridge” the gap between missing teeth. Dentists can use dental bridges to cover the gap between one or multiple missing teeth. When creating a bridge, we use a dental crown on each side of the opening, and a false tooth in between called a pontic. Once the bridge is designed and fabricated, the bridge is attached or anchored to the teeth on either side of that gap with crowns. The bridge can be attached permanently or be removable depending on the patient’s health needs and desires.

Do I Need a Dental Bridge?

No matter what the cause, if you have missing teeth, they must be replaced. Leaving gaps in your smile can lead to erosion of your existing healthy jaw bone. Unaddressed spaces in your gum line can also lead to bacterial infections and gum disease. The space left behind from an extracted or lost tooth can also cause the teeth surrounding that area to slip or shift in place, causing other issues such as changes to your bite and speech.

What Are the Benefits of a Dental Bridge?

Dental bridges are relatively straightforward treatments and are commonly used to replace missing teeth. Bridges are often covered by dental insurance because they mitigate the risk of teeth shifting and gum disease. Complications from dental bridges are infrequent, and you will find that a dental bridge will look, feel, and function very much like your natural teeth. As long as the teeth used to support your dental bridge stay healthy, your dental bridge will last for many years.

How Do I Care for My Dental Bridge?

Caring for your dental bridge is as easy as caring for your natural teeth. Unlike dentures, dental bridges are typically fixed into your mouth and do not require special cleaning or treatments. Be sure to schedule regular professional dental cleanings and routine examinations to keep an eye on your dental bridge and the supporting teeth’s health.

What Are the Alternatives to Dental Bridge?

Dentures and implants are the two most commonly recommended alternatives to dental bridges. Dentures or partial dentures can be used depending on the number of teeth missing are recommended to patients with extensive tooth loss or significant gum deterioration that would prevent you from utilizing surrounding healthy teeth to anchor your bridge. However, implants are the gold standard when replacing missing teeth because we don’t need to use a crown on surrounding healthy teeth and prevent the loss of jawbone much better than a bridge or dentures would.