Dental Bridges have a long and successful history as a durable and non-removable tooth replacement option. They cost about half as much as dental implants and tend to have fewer complications, overall. When presenting this treatment option to patients, many ask "How do Dental Bridges work?". Today I'd like to discuss Dental Bridges and their benefits.
A Dental Bridge is a one-piece, non-removable, appliance that replaces one or more missing teeth. It does this by attaching to teeth on either side of the lost tooth/teeth. In the image above, their is a single missing tooth. The 3-tooth bridge involves one bridge tooth (in the middle) and two anchoring crowns that slide over the teeth neighbouring the space. These anchor crowns attach permanently to the prepared tooth stumps/pegs.
Dental bridges can replace one or missing teeth by attaching permanently to neighbouring teeth. A bridge can also work with dental implants. Often times, your Kitchener Dentist can attach bridge crowns by screwing them into the implant directly. So, bridges can be attached to natural teeth or to dental implants.
As with any dental prosthetic, they can experience wear and tear much like your natural teeth. Porcelain crowns and bridges can chip just like teeth do from time to time. So, you definitely want to limit chewing things like hard candy, popcorn kernels, etc., near your dental bridge.
To clean your bridge, you can brush and floss and it's pretty much "business as usual" from that perspective. The one small change will be that you cannot floss on either side of the bridge or replacement tooth because it is fused to the anchor crowns. So, you can simply use a Waterpik or surgical rinsing syringe to flush water underneath and around your bridge tooth.
Thanks for reading today!
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Our Kitchener Dental Clinic is conveniently located in Downtown Kitchener and we are a short drive away for families in Waterloo, Breslau & St. Jacobs. Our central location means we truly offer family dentistry near you!
This article is meant to promote understanding of and knowledge about general oral health topics. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis or treatment. Accordingly, always seek the advice of your Kitchener Dentist or other healthcare provider regarding a dental condition or treatment.
