Tooth Replacement Options

Before a conventional bridge can be made, the teeth must be reduced in size so that the bridge will fit over them properly. After reducing the teeth, your dentist will take an impression to provide an exact mould for the bridge to be constructed on. If porcelain is to be used, your dentist will determine the correct shade for the bridge to match the colour of your existing teeth.

 

Using this impression, a dental technician then makes your bridge, in the material your dentist specifies. A temporary bridge will be put in place to cover the prepared tooth while the permanent bridge is being made. When the permanent bridge is ready, the temporary bridge is removed, and the new bridge is cemented over your prepared tooth or teeth.

 

How Long Do Dental Bridges Last?

Dental bridges can last five to 15 years and even longer. With good oral hygiene and regular check-ups, it is not unusual for the life span of a fixed bridge to be over 10 years.

 

Will It Be Difficult to Eat With a Dental Bridge?

Replacing missing teeth with a dental bridge should actually make eating easier. Until you become accustomed to the bridge, eat soft foods that have been cut into small pieces.

 

Will the Dental Bridge Change How I Speak?

It can be difficult to speak clearly when teeth are missing. Wearing a dental bridge with the anterior teeth in their proper relationship will help you speak properly.

 

How Do I Care for a Bridge?

It is important to keep remaining teeth healthy and strong as the success of the bridge (depending on the type selected) depends on the solid foundation offered by the surrounding teeth. Brushing twice a day and flossing daily helps prevent tooth decay and gum disease that can lead to tooth loss. Your dentist or dental hygienist will demonstrate how to properly brush and floss teeth as it is important to clean between your teeth and under the bridge. Keeping a regular cleaning schedule will help us diagnose any potential problems at an early stage when treatment has a better prognosis. Selecting a balanced diet for proper nutrition is also important.

 

Are implants better than a bridge?

More people are now choosing implants over bridges. As far as being more economical, the main reason is that dental implants have a higher success rate and rarely need to be replaced. According to certain studies, bridgework may only last an average of 8-10 years.

 

A dental bridge has a fake tooth or "pontic" that rests on the gums. This is a very difficult situation to create a realistic looking tooth. Dental implants are placed below the gum surface and the crown erupts through the tissue just like a natural tooth. In addition, as the name states, a bridge splints the adjacent teeth together making hygiene difficult. Implants do not decay but the teeth supporting a bridge can decay if hygiene is not well maintained. This can lead to the bridge failing and requiring replacement.

 

One major reason that people may choose an option is whether or not they wish to undergo a specific procedure. Although relatively non-invasive, a Dental Implant placement is a surgical procedure. On the other hand, a bridge requires that the teeth on either side of the toothless space be trimmed down to support the fake tooth. A bridge is still a very good restoration, however a Dental Implant is the state of the art way to replace a tooth and in many cases is the preferred "standard of care".

 

The most important benefit of Dental Implants is often unrecognised. When a tooth is lost the bone is no longer in function. Because of this the bone slowly begins to disappear in this area. Denture patients often have little bony ridge remaining, and often the loss of a single tooth, with associated bone loss, leads to an aesthetic nightmare. Implants act just like a natural tooth in terms of stimulating the bone. By placing an implant you are not only replacing a missing tooth, but you are maintaining bone.

 

Discuss your options with your dentist.