The Purpose of Dental Bridges in Tooth Replacement

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The loss of a tooth or multiple teeth can result in many changes in the appearance of your smile and dental health. Wen encourage you to consider your options for dental restorations to replace missing teeth. In addition to dental implants and dentures, you can choose from different types of dental bridges to fill a tooth gap. Our team is happy to provide further information on dental bridges and their purpose in tooth replacement.

The loss of a tooth means you should receive restorative dental care as soon as you can. When there is a gap in your smile, the neighboring teeth can loosen and drift, increasing your risk of gum disease and TMJ disorder from having a bad bite.

One of the benefits of a dental bridge is that it can be customized to fit your smile and provide the lacking function and appearance. Most often, we recommend a traditional dental bridge, which uses up to three false teeth referred to as pontics, with dental crowns on either side, to cover a tooth gap. The dental crowns attach to the neighboring teeth to enhance the stability of the dental bridge. However, if there is only one natural tooth that could be used an anchor, your smile may receive a cantilever bridge. A third option is a bonded bridge, which can be provided with less preparation.

The typical process for a dental bridge spans two visits to Hill Family Dental, with the first visit dedicated to preparing the neighboring teeth to become abutments and creating an impression of what the dental bridge will look like. Then, at a later visit, we can cement the dental bridge in the tooth gap.

Give Hill Family Dental a call at 801-225-7110 today to speak with our dentist, Drs. Jared and Jerel Hill, about dental bridges in Orem, Utah.