Dental bridges are designed to replace one or two missing teeth. In some cases, they might replace more teeth than that. The missing teeth need to be in a row and have a healthy tooth or implant on each end. Here's an overview of how dental bridges are used to replace missing or bad teeth.
You Select The Crown Material
You can discuss different crown materials with your dentist to determine what you like. If you want crowns that look the most like natural teeth, you may want porcelain. Porcelain has a luster that reflects light in the same way as natural enamel.
However, you could choose a different material, such as gold. Gold crowns are a good choice even though they don't look natural because they are durable and stand up well to chewing and grinding.
The Bad Teeth Are Extracted
Teeth have to be missing to put in a dental bridge. If you have diseased teeth still in place, they need to be extracted before the crown is put in. The dentist then decides whether to use healthy teeth on the ends or if you need to have implants put in.
If you'll get implants, it takes longer to complete getting your bridge since the implants need to fuse with your bone before the crowns are applied to the top of them. If you have healthy teeth to use, you can get a bridge much faster, but the process may still take multiple visits.
Scans Or Molds Are Made
Once your mouth is ready for the bridge, the dentist takes digital scans of your mouth or makes a mold of your teeth so a dental lab can create your permanent bridge. The bridge is custom-made to fit your mouth, and if you'll get white crowns, the color is matched to your other teeth.
Since it could take a few weeks for your bridge to be ready, the dentist might give you a temporary bridge to wear that covers the big gap in your teeth. This bridge isn't intended to last very long, so you'll need to go back to the dentist and have it replaced with the permanent one.
The Bridge Is Put On
When the permanent bridge is put on, crowns are placed over the healthy teeth on the ends. These crowns support the crowns in between that don't attach to any tooth roots. This requires removing some enamel on your healthy teeth first.
If you'll get implants instead, crowns are put on the implants to support the bridge. The result is a row of new teeth that provide a chewing surface that works as well as your real teeth and that can improve the appearance of your smile.
For more info about dental implants, contact a local company.
Share1 March 2023
