5 Reasons to Choose a Dental Bridge

When you have a missing tooth (or teeth), there are multiple treatment options available to you. One of these many tooth replacement options is a dental bridge. 

A dental bridge is a permanent appliance consisting of several pieces that perfectly fill the open space from your missing tooth. It’s often a welcome alternative to dentures, helping to improve your chewing and speech function. 

At Beaches Dentistry in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, our team — led by Nodesh Shyamsunder, BDS, and Jasleen Raina, DDS, — offers dental bridges as one of our tooth replacement treatment options.

This month’s blog discusses what you need to know about dental bridges, including five reasons to choose a dental bridge to replace your missing tooth.

Understanding the types of dental bridges

A dental bridge consists of two or more crowns for the existing teeth on either side of your missing tooth and a false tooth — called a pontic — for the gap in the middle. The pontic is custom-made to mimic the size and shape of the tooth that was there before. 

There are four types of dental bridges, and the kind you get depends on a variety of factors including your age, personal preferences, and the health of your surrounding teeth and gums.

Traditional bridge

This type of bridge is the most common and consists of two crowns with a pontic in between. You need to have a natural tooth on either side of the missing tooth to qualify for a traditional bridge.

Cantilever bridge

This type of bridge is very similar to a traditional bridge; however, it only has one crown that sits next to the pontic. So, you can get a cantilever bridge even if you only have one existing tooth next to the gap caused by the missing tooth.

Maryland bridge

Maryland bridges also need two natural teeth on either side of the missing one. But instead of crowns, this type of bridge uses a metal framework attached to the back of the two natural teeth. This type works best for missing front teeth.

Implant-supported bridge

An implant-supported bridge is just like a traditional bridge, but it rests on top of dental implants instead of your natural teeth. Implants are posts embedded into your jawbone to replace missing tooth roots. You first need surgery to place the implants and then after the posts fuse to your jawbone, the bridge can be placed.

Why choose a dental bridge?

Having a missing tooth can affect your oral health in several ways. It can impact your ability to chew or speak properly, cause your surrounding teeth to start shifting, and lower your self-esteem. 

Getting a dental bridge can benefit you in the following ways:

1. Restore your smile and self-esteem
2. Improve your ability to chew and speak
3. Prevent your other teeth from shifting
4. Re-distribute the force of your bite
5. Maintain your facial shape 

You can also care for your dental bridge like your natural teeth, making it much more convenient than caring for traditional dentures. 

If you’re missing one or more teeth, and you’d like to learn more about dental bridges or our other tooth replacement options, contact our team by calling our office or booking an appointment online today.