TODAY WE WILL DISCUSS WHAT THE DENTAL BRIDGE IS
SO, WHAT EXACTLY IS A DENTAL BRIDGE?
When a tooth is lost due to injury, decay, or extraction, it leaves a gap. One of the ways to replace it is with a dental bridge. It is like a bridge over the river. We use 2 adjacent teeth as an anchors to hold a missing tooth in between.
WHAT IS A DENTAL BRIDGE MADE OUT OF?
Most of the dental bridges these days are made of porcelain or zirconia. Both are very strong and highly aesthetic materials. During the fabrication of the bridge, shape and shade of the bridge teeth can be adjusted for aesthetic or functional reasons.
WHAT IS A PROCESS OF MAKING DENTAL BRIDGE?
The process of getting a dental bridge typically involves two visits to the dentist. During the first visit, the adjacent teeth are prepared by removing a small portion of enamel to be able to fit the bridge over these teeth. Scans are taken to create a custom bridge that fits perfectly in your mouth. At the end of the appointment patient will leave with a temporary bridge made out of acrylic. Between visits, a dental technician crafts the bridge in a laboratory, ensuring precision and a natural appearance. On your second visit, we make sure the occlusion is great, the aesthetics are as good or better and after that we can finally cement it in place.
HOW LONG DOES A BRIDGE LAST?
With the proper care the bridge can last decades. I’ve seen patients who had their bridges for 30+ years and had no issues with them.
CAN DENTAL BRIDGE FAIL?
Like with any other procedure dental bridge can fail. The number one reason why dental bridge can fail is due to the caries of the anchor teeth. It called re-current decay. Bridges require consistently good oral hygiene and if not followed caries can form under the bridge and those anchor teeth can break. The other reason is an excessive force on the bridge due to the reasons like: missing teeth on the opposite side of the mouth, grinding, clenching. In this case we recommend to replace all missing teeth and wear occlusal guard at least at night to reduce stress on the bridge.
