When you lose one tooth, or up to three in a row, then a dental bridge could be prescribed to address the issue and restore beauty and function to your smile. But what if we could provide one that lasts longer, and protects your jawbone structure? In today’s blog, your Greenville, TX, dentist will talk about our implant-supported dental bridges.
The Dangers of Your Missing Teeth
When we start to lose our natural teeth, this could cause major complications that in turn, increase the rate of tooth loss and may lead to an older appearance. For example, the gap in your smile could cause teeth nearby to drift from position, causing misalignment. Poor alignment not only impacts esthetics, but could increase the risk of tooth decay and gum disease. Missing teeth also strain the jaw joints and upset bite balance, making issues like TMJ disorder or bruxism more likely as well. Finally, as the body recognizes the loss of a root, it stops sending key nutrients to the surrounding bone tissue, causing a breakdown of mass and density in the jaw that makes further tooth loss likely. Not to mention complications for your ability to eat, speak clearly, or smile with confidence. However, a prosthetic could prevent these complications from ever occurring!
Creating Your Custom Bridge
A dental bridge is designed to address between one and three teeth in a row. The prosthetic is created based on detailed impressions and digital images we take of your smile. The finished product contains one to three new teeth, with crowns attached to each end. We use ceramic and other materials that can be color-matched to your smile and also absorbs daily bite forces.
Support with Implant Technology
Typically, the crowns will be placed onto natural teeth on either side of the gap, known as abutment teeth. The prosthetic then lasts an average of 10 to 15 years. However, we could instead insert dental implants into the jaw, where the biocompatible titanium post act as new roots. This stimulates the growth of bone tissue to prevent the loss of mass and density, and enables the prosthetic to last for decades to come. We then attach the crowns to the implants, anchoring your new bridge in place and preserving natural tooth structure too. If you have any questions about how we approach tooth loss, or the process used to design and create a lifelike dental prosthetic then contact our team today.
Your Greenville, TX Dentist Replaces Missing Teeth
At Smith Family Dentistry, we want to help you avoid issues that arise due to one or more missing teeth. To learn more about our custom prosthetics and other options to address tooth loss, then contact your Greenville, TX, dentist, Dr. Smith, by calling 903-455-5750.