Hello, I'm Dr. Samuel here at Montpelier Family Dentistry. Here at the office we get a lot of questions about dental bridges, so I'm here to answer the most commonly asked questions about dental bridges.
What is a dental bridge?
A dental bridge is basically when you're missing one tooth in the middle and you have two of your own teeth on either side. These teeth are reshaped so that something like this, this is the actual bridge, can be fit on top and made by a lab and that's glued on with permanent cement. So you have to clean underneath it but it doesn't come on at all.
What's the difference between a bridge and dentures?
A bridge, like I showed, is something that cannot be taken off. A denture does come in and out of the mouth; you have to take it out to clean it.
What are the pros and cons of dental bridges?
So one pro is that you can replace your missing tooth with something that does not have to be taken in and out of your mouth, and if you are not a candidate for implants, a dental bridge is definitely a great option. A con is that you do have to clean underneath this fake tooth here very carefully with the water flosser or special type of floss and that does have to be kept clean. Another con is that the longevity of your bridge depends on the health of these two teeth on either side, so if anything ever happens to these two teeth, there is a chance of losing the whole bridge.
What are the alternatives to a dental bridge?
The alternative to a dental bridge is if you're missing one or two teeth, a dental implant, something that is permanent also in your mouth. Another option is something that comes in and out of your mouth called a partial denture.
What is a removable dental bridge versus a fixed dental bridge?
A removable dental bridge would be maybe another word for a partial denture, something that you take in and out of your mouth. A fixed dental bridge is something that is cemented permanently on the teeth on either side of the space; that would be a permanent bridge.
What is a Calver dental bridge?
I will show you an example here. So let's take this out. If you have one tooth, then a fake tooth here, just pretend this is not here; it's only depending on this last tooth. So this is called a Calver dental bridge, only on one side, not on both sides.
How can a dental bridge help those with gum disease?
If we are able to connect multiple teeth with a dental bridge and somebody's teeth are not very stable, that can give them some type of stability so they can chew without feeling their teeth maybe moving around in their gum.
Is dental bridge work painful?
No, our goal here at Montpelier Family Dental is always to make sure the patient is completely numb and comfortable when we work on them.
What does the dental bridge placement procedure involve?
Two visits. One visit is to reshape the teeth on either side of the space. Let me get my model here. So these two teeth have to be reshaped and the information sent to the lab so they can make your bridge, and you have temporary crowns covering these two teeth, something temporary covering these teeth. Then at the second visit, the lab sends the bridge and these areas are gotten ready, cleaned up and everything, and this is placed on with permanent cement.
How long does a dental bridge last?
A dental bridge I've seen lasts many years with patients who take good care of their teeth and come in regularly, that means at least twice a year for their dental cleaning and dental checkup and x-rays.
How should I care for my dental bridge?
The easiest way that patients do it is something called a water flosser, where water can be kind of irrigated and sprayed between this fake tooth and the real tooth underneath so no food or anything gets caught between your gum and your bridge. Another way is something called a floss threader. It takes more effort, where a piece of floss is threaded underneath and then kind of glides underneath here. Those are the two ways.
When should I schedule an appointment for a dental bridge?
If you have any questions about replacing teeth, missing teeth, that's when you should schedule an appointment for a dental bridge.
I hope I've been able to answer some of the most commonly asked questions about dental bridges. If you have any more questions, please feel free to call our office at (301) 812-4599 or visit our website at www.theLauralDentist.com.