Dental Bridges
A dental bridge, bridges the gap left behind from a lost tooth. The illustration does a good job to explain how it is done.
Dental bridges, what are they?
Dentists believe that the best teeth are your own teeth. They will do all they can to make sure you keep your teeth. But sometimes, a tooth is badly damaged or lost. The good news is bridges (also called “fixed bridges”), dental implants and dentures are all available options to replace one or more missing teeth.
A bridge is held firmly in place by crowning healthy teeth on each side of the missing one(s). You cannot take a bridge out; it is cemented to your teeth. If a tooth is lost, it is important to replace it with a false (or artificial) tooth as soon as possible. This procedure will prevent your remaining teeth from drifting out of line and causing other problems.
Like crowns, bridges can be made of different kinds of metals, porcelain, or porcelain fused to metal. They are strong and last for about 10 years on average, if you take good care of them. Your dentist will show you how to use a floss threader to floss under and around the false tooth (or teeth) in the middle of the bridge.
Bridges and replacement teeth may not be as strong as your natural teeth, so:
• Wear a night guard if you clench or grind your teeth at night.
• Do not bite down on hard objects (i.e. forks, bottle caps, etc.)
• Do not use your teeth to open or cut things.
• Do not do these things with your natural teeth either.
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