What is Dental Bridge – Do you feel your teeth are a little loose? Loose teeth can reduce self-confidence when we have to smile or just open our mouths. Surely you don’t want to lose confidence, right? Even loose teeth can make chewing food difficult. That is why it is highly recommended that you wear a dental bridge procedure to straighten loose teeth.
What is Dental Bridge
A dental bridge is a term in medical care that fills the spaces or gaps between teeth or fills in the missing teeth. This can help restore the condition of your teeth and maintain the natural shape of the teeth. Before you make a dental bridge, the dentist will tell you which type of is right for you.
The procedure for closing or making supports between these open spaces using dentures is called a pontic. Usually, this pontic is made of fine porcelain material to match the natural color of the teeth. After the pontic is implanted into the tooth, no more space will be visible on the tooth.
The procedure for this installation is usually required to:
- Restores the teeth’s ability to bite and chew normally.
- Clarify speech when you try to speak.
- Maintain the shape of the face and jaw teeth.
- Prevents the remaining teeth from falling out or shifting their position.
- Dental bridges through the installation of this pontic need to be repeated approximately every 5-15 years, and depending on what type of treatment is used.
When Do You Need to Use a Dental Bridge
Missing and perforated teeth is a serious problem. This is because your teeth have to work together in doing their respective duties. When you lose a tooth, the adjacent tooth may tilt and become loose. The teeth in the opposite jaw can also slide up or down and become untidy.
That is why it can affect your bite and when speaking also becomes difficult which puts more stress on your teeth and jaw joint while working. It could be that in the end this condition has a bad impact on the health of your teeth.
Teeth that are tilted or shifted from their original position will be more difficult to clean when cleaning teeth. This can put you at a higher risk of developing tooth decay and dangerous gum disease.
When a tooth is lost, the bone that is there can shrink. If that happens, it can change the way the jawbone supports the lips and cheeks. Over time, this can make the proportions of your face look a little different. Therefore, dental bridge medical procedures are highly recommended to overcome this problem.
Types of Dental Bridges
There are four types of dental bridges that are selected to bridge the empty tooth space.
- Traditional
Traditional bridge is the most popular type and is often used. This method is used when there is an empty space between two teeth due to a tooth that has been dislodged. Through this procedure, the pontic is held in place by a C that has been cemented in the respective supporting tooth
- Cantilever
This type of dental bridges is almost similar to the previous traditional bridge. The difference is that the pontic used by the cemented crown is only present in one supporting tooth. And it only takes natural teeth next to the missing tooth gap.
- Maryland
Furthermore, this procedure is also similar to a traditional dental bridge in that it uses two abutment teeth, one in each tooth gap.
But the difference is, the traditional way use dental crowns on the supporting teeth, whereas this type uses another metal or porcelain frame that is fastened to the back of the supporting teeth.
- Implant-supported
This type uses a dental implant instead of a dental crown or skeleton. One implant will be placed in the jawbone through a surgical procedure for each missing tooth. Its function is to hold the teeth in place.
A second operation will be performed to install the dental bridge. If this is not possible, a pontic is placed between the two implanted dental crowns. This type of dental bridge is considered the strongest and most stable.
How to place a dental bridge
Placing a dental bridge usually requires more than one visit to the doctor and should be as frequent as the control. On the first visit, the dentist will prepare the teeth on both sides of the gap. the dental bridge will stick to the teeth. When talking about dental bridges, your dentist will probably use several terms such as:
- Crown: a covering that covers the tooth which is affixed later.
- Pontic: useful for replacing missing teeth.
Your dentist then examines the teeth and dental chambers and sends them to the laboratory. The technicians in the lab then begin to make the dental bridges according to the results of the examination.
Your dentist will place a temporary dental bridge to protect your exposed tooth while you wait for the permanent bridge. The permanent bridge will be attached or cemented to the tooth that has been prepared by the doctor.
This type of dental bridge is permanent and cannot be removed from your mouth without the help of a dentist. For approximately one year or so, the dental bridge is installed, adjusted, and cemented in its proper place.
Also Read Dental Criteria That Can Use Braces For Maximum Results
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