Dental Bridges
Plano, TX
No one wants to deal with missing teeth, but sometimes you have no choice. If you cannot save your natural teeth, you need effective ways to replace them. One such way is with dental bridges. At McDonald DDS, we offer this type of restorative dentistry to help you regain full function of your mouth.
How Bridges Work
Dental bridges have anchors, which are the two teeth on either side of the missing tooth. We use those teeth to help keep the fake tooth in place. We create the bridge by placing a dental crown on both natural teeth with a fake tooth in the middle. The ‘bridge’ relies on the health of the healthy teeth on either side of your missing tooth.
As a part of the process, we must prepare the teeth that will hold the bridge in place. Even if they are completely healthy teeth, we must prepare them and make room for the dental crown. In fact, the healthier the teeth on either side of the missing teeth are, the better the chances of the bridge taking become. We prepare your healthy teeth for crowns at your first appointment for a dental bridge.
The initial prep for the bridge is not super invasive. If there is decay in either tooth, we will need to remove it before placing the crown. If the teeth are healthy, though, we file them down and take an impression of the area. The impressions help the lab create the crowns and a fake tooth that looks like the rest of your teeth – it is a custom bridge that helps blend in with the rest of your mouth.
Getting the Dental Bridge
You will receive the dental bridge after a few weeks. This gives our lab time to create the dental crowns and fake tooth, creating a bridge out of all three pieces. Our dentists then place the bridge in your mouth, ensuring a proper and comfortable fit. We take our time, allowing you to see what it feels like and informing us of any discomfort you feel.
The idea of the dental bridge is to be able to chew, talk, and smile with ease. Once you are completely comfortable with how it feels, we will make the bridge a permanent appliance in your mouth. You do not have to worry about taking it out and cleaning it – the bridge remains in your mouth many years, as long as you properly care for it.
Oral Hygiene With a Dental Bridge
Your oral hygiene habits with a bridge should be the same as if you did not have a bridge. You should brush and floss your teeth at least twice a day, paying careful attention to get in between the teeth on the bridge. You want to keep all bacteria and debris away from the bridge to avoid decay and destruction of the bridge.
Want to learn more about dental bridges? Give us a call at (469) 649-0699.
Or book an appointment with us online today! |
