Dental Bridges in the Replacement of Missing Teeth
When you are missing a tooth or a few teeth, you know just how much that can affect the overall appearance of your smile. But the aesthetics of your smile are not all that's altered due to missing teeth. Serious dental health issues are also associated with tooth loss. That's why many people visit our Redwood City cosmetic dentistry center. The team here would like to take a moment right now to explore some potential treatment options.
Problems Associated with Missing Teeth
When you are missing a few teeth or even just one tooth, it can make eating certain foods quite difficult. Speech impediments are also common when missing a tooth, as are issues with the appearance of the lip and cheek areas.
The most serious dental health problems related to tooth loss, however, involve gum recession, bone loss, and your remaining teeth becoming crooked over time. All of these dental health issues are legitimate reasons to meet with a Redwood City dentist. In many cases, dental bridges will be a great remedy for these problems.
What are dental bridges?
Dental bridges are an artificial set of teeth that bridge the gap left behind by tooth loss. The bridge may consists of one tooth or a few teeth depending on the needs of the patient. The dental bridges are held in place by bracing around your remaining tooth structure.
Ideal Candidates for Dental Bridges
The best candidates for dental bridges are people missing a tooth or a few teeth. They should have healthy remaining teeth around the tooth gap so that the dental bridge can be supported properly. For people missing many teeth in a row along their dental arch, an alternative will need to be considered.
Dental Bridges Supported by Dental Implants
In some cases, patients may want to consider getting their dental bridges supported by Redwood City dental implants. Dental implants are artificial tooth roots that can support dental restorations. When a bridge is held in place by dental implants, the hold is extremely secure and comparable to that of natural tooth roots.
Best Candidates for Dental Implants
The best candidates for dental implants are people who have healthy jawbone structure and gum tissue. The dental implants will need to integrate with these natural structures during the healing process in order the achieve the best possible hold. If a patient does not have healthy bone and gum tissue in place, grafting procedures may be used as needed, though this will need to be discussed in greater detail during the consultation process.
Other Dental Bridge Alternatives to Consider
If dental bridges are not a good option for a patient, there are many other restorative dentistry solutions for patients. For instance, if a patient is missing many teeth in a row, a denture will be a better treatment option to consider. The denture can replace many teeth on a dental arch. Like dental bridges, dentures can be held in place with dental implants.
For patients missing just a single tooth, a good option to consider is an individual dental implant that is capped by a dental crown. Candidacy for dental implants will need to be considered for this option.
Learn More About Advanced Restorative Dentistry
For more information about dental bridges and your many other options for advanced restorative dentistry, be sure to contract our Redwood City cosmetic and restorative dentistry center today. Our entire team looks forward to meeting you in person and helping you achieve a healthy and beautiful smile through effective dental treatments.