Bridges

Service Description

When you are missing one or more teeth in a row, a dental bridge is a beautiful and reliable way to "bridge the gap." It is a permanent restoration that uses the healthy teeth on either side of the space to support a lifelike replacement tooth. Unlike a denture, a bridge is bonded in place, meaning it doesn't come out and feels just like your natural teeth. Why You Might Need a Dental Bridge A bridge does much more than just fix your smile's appearance. It plays a vital role in your overall oral health by: Preventing Shifting: When a tooth is missing, the neighboring teeth often start to tilt or "drift" into the empty space. This can ruin your alignment and make it hard to clean your teeth. Restoring Your Bite: Missing teeth change how your upper and lower jaws meet. A bridge restores a balanced bite, which prevents strain on your jaw joints. Maintaining Face Shape: Teeth support your cheeks and lips. A bridge helps maintain your natural facial structure and prevents that "sunken" look that can happen with tooth loss. The Process: Crafting Your Bridge In our office, we take a traditional, high-precision approach to creating bridges. The process usually takes two appointments. Appointment 1: Preparation and Impressions To make a bridge, the teeth on both sides of the gap (called anchor teeth) must be prepared. The dentist will gently shape these teeth by removing a small amount of enamel. This ensures the bridge can slide over them securely without feeling bulky. Once the teeth are shaped, we take a PVS Impression. This is a specialized, rubber-like material that captures a perfect mold of your teeth. We send this mold to a professional dental lab, where a technician hand-crafts your bridge using high-strength porcelain that is custom-matched to the shade of your natural smile. Before you leave, the dentist will make you a temporary bridge. This protects your prepared teeth and fills the gap while the lab is busy making your permanent one. Appointment 2: The Final Placement A couple of weeks later, you return for the final step. The dentist removes the temporary bridge and tries on the custom lab-made one. We check several important factors: The Fit: Ensuring the bridge sits perfectly against the gums. The Appearance: Checking that the color and shape look natural. The Bite: Making sure you can chew comfortably. After any adjustments are made, the bridge is bonded into place with professional dental cement.