Are missing teeth making it difficult for you to eat and speak?
A dental bridge can improve your oral health by replacing up to four consecutive missing teeth and keeping your remaining teeth aligned.
Berger Dental Group in Columbia and Elgin, SC, has extensive experience in providing natural-looking solutions such as dental bridges.
What is a Dental Bridge?
A dental bridge is a restoration that spans the gap left by one or more missing teeth, restoring your smile and giving you back a functional bite. Each replacement tooth within a bridge is called a pontic.
Bridges can be held in place either by cementing crowns to nearby teeth or with dental implants, which are small posts inserted into the jaw. In the case of implant-supported bridges, the implants not only support the bridge but they also stimulate rejuvenating bone growth in the jaw, preventing atrophy. Implants are the preferred method for supporting a bridge because they avoid the need to alter and crown nearby healthy teeth.
The type of bridge, the number of pontics needed, and the materials used to create the bridge will vary based on the patient’s unique dental needs and preferences. This will be determined after a full dental exam.
With a traditional bridge, nearby healthy teeth are reshaped so that crowns supporting the bridge can be attached. A traditional bridge can be used if you are missing one tooth or up to four in a row.