When you lose a tooth or multiple teeth in a row, you don’t want to leave the gap empty for too long. Fortunately, Dr. Hoop can often fill in the empty space with a personalized dental bridge. Thanks to this time-tested prosthesis, you can once again enjoy the benefits of a complete smile. If you believe that you may need a dental bridge in the near future, please call our office to schedule an appointment with our trustworthy team!
A dental bridge combines two dental crowns with one or more replacement teeth known as pontics. The crowns are located on either end of the bridge while the pontics are suspended between them. In order to fill in a gap in your smile, the dental bridge will be attached to two of your natural teeth via the crowns. That way, the pontics can act as your new teeth. Like individual dental crowns, dental bridges can be designed to be very natural-looking; to most people, it will look as though you never lost any teeth to begin with.
You can either get a traditional dental bridge or an implant bridge. Our team can help you figure out which type of bridge is right for you once we have completed a thorough examination of your smile and learned more about your goals. Here’s a closer look at your options:
Traditional dental bridges use natural teeth for support. They can be used to replace a single tooth or at least two consecutive missing teeth. You can only receive a traditional dental bridge if there are still sufficiently healthy teeth on either side of the gap being filled.
An implant bridge is anchored to a pair of dental implants, which are screwlike posts that are surgically inserted into the jawbone. You may be eligible for an implant bridge if you have lost at least three consecutive teeth and have plenty of bone density in your jaw. There are many benefits to using dental implants to replace missing teeth, such as improved biting power.
If you choose to get a dental bridge, you’ll be able to enjoy the following benefits: