Are you missing a tooth or two?
Are you missing a tooth or two? A dental bridge is an excellent solution to bridge the gap left by missing teeth so you can speak, eat, and smile again. Give us a call today!
A dental bridge is a permanent fixed prosthetic that is made up to multiple crowns joined together to fill the gap of a missing tooth or teeth. Just like an industrial bridge, in order to suspend over a gap, it requires strong pillars at either end of the bridge for support. In the mouth, the bridge is supported by the teeth on either side of the gap. These teeth act as anchors to hold the bridge securely in place. Dental bridges can be made out of different materials including gold, metal or more commonly ceramic.
Bridges are long lasting treatment that should last around 10 years on average. Their lifespan is affected by different factors including what type of food you eat, your oral hygiene habits at home, how your teeth fit together, and whether you grind or clenching your jaws. To get the longest lifespan of your bridge, it is important to take good care of your teeth by good oral hygiene habits at home, as well as routine dental checkups and cleans.
Getting a bridge takes two dental appointments. At the first appointment, your dentist will numb your teeth with local anaesthesia so the process is painless and comfortable. The dentist will then prepare the anchor teeth next to missing tooth/teeth to make sure there is enough space for a bridge to sit on top of it. A mould of your teeth will be taken so that this can be sent to a technician to construct your bridge. A temporary bridge will be fitted over your teeth so it is sealed while we wait 2 weeks for the permanent bridge to be made. This appointment takes about 1.5-2.5 hours. The final appointment is approximately 2 weeks after the first appointment. At this appointment, your dentist will remove the temporary bridge, clean the teeth and cement the permanent bridge. Once this is done you will have a new set of teeth with no gaps!