Dental Bridges Close the Gap Created by Missing Teeth to Safeguard Your Mouth
Adults losing permanent teeth is not a recent phenomenon and is ongoing for centuries. Gaps caused between the teeth can, fortunately, be filled with dental bridges for missing teeth. These restorations weren’t available earlier when dentures were the only option. However, as dental bridges are available from the dentist in flower mound, there is no reason for you to show off the gap between your teeth unless you are proud of it for any reason.
Most adults losing their permanent teeth are concerned about how their smiles look with gaps between their teeth. People think dental bridges are just a cosmetic replacement solution to help cover unsightly holes in the mouth. They never consider that dental bridges play a more significant role in protecting their mouth instead of just their smile. The issue discussed is not an isolated one because most people don’t consider their mouth’s requirement of having teeth to stimulate their gums. Perhaps cosmetic dentistry has taught people that smiling is the only reason why oral hygiene is essential. Let us look at what happens when you lose a tooth or teeth in your mouth.
The Effects of Losing Permanent Teeth
When you lose your permanent teeth either in the posterior-anterior region of the mouth, the first casualty is undoubtedly your smile. However, the hidden death of tooth loss is your mouth because your remaining teeth begin moving towards the blank space left by the missing tooth. Your bite becomes misaligned, and you have a set of crooked teeth remaining.
The permanent tooth you lost also causes your jawbone to lose the stimulation it needs to stay healthy. Leave the gap untreated, and you fall prey to bone resorption, which begins occurring immediately after tooth loss. It is why you must consider teeth replacement solutions that dental bridges to replace your lost teeth.
What Do Dental Bridges besides Safeguarding Your Mouth?
The dentist near you may provide dental bridges or suggest other options if you prefer having them. If you favor dental bridges, you are investing in an opportunity that lasts you for several years and functions as a natural-looking and functioning artificial tooth. The dentist in flower mound evaluates your teeth to determine whether the surrounding teeth are healthy to hold dental crowns. If you have two healthy teeth beside the gap, you can have a traditional fixed bridge. You can choose a Maryland bridge if you only have one healthy tooth beside the opening. Either option requires the dentist to grind down your healthy teeth to accommodate dental crowns and attach the dental bridge in between, covering the blank space left by your permanent tooth.
When selecting dental bridges to replace your missing teeth, prepare yourself to spend some time with the flower mound dentist. Dental bridges are customized according to your natural teeth, right down to their shape and color. Your dentist recommends whitening your teeth if they are discolored because the dental crowns and the Pontic are made from stain-resistant material and will not discolor like your natural teeth.
During your first visit, the dentist grinds the neighboring teeth next to the gap, making them suitable for dental crowns. Impressions of your teeth and mouth are taken for the dental laboratory to fabricate your dental crowns and the Pontic. You must wait for at least three weeks before you can have the artificial tooth or teeth placed. However, the waiting time shouldn’t concern you because the dentist provides a temporary bridge to safeguard your appearance.
You revisit the dentist three weeks later when your new dental crowns and Pontic are returned by the dental laboratory. The dentist removes the temporary placements and cements the crowns to your healthy teeth with the Pontic in between to bridge the gap that you were proudly displaying.
The dental bridge allows you full functionality of your mouth and teeth, besides making it comfortable for you to smile before everyone. However, after dental bridge placement, you must care for it efficiently by brushing twice daily, flossing at least once, visiting your dentist every six months for cleanings and exams, and avoiding sugary and starchy foods prime culprits for tooth decay and cavities.
Plaque and bacterial buildup on your teeth are comfortably managed by sugar and starchy foods favored by bacteria. If you do not maintain optimal dental hygiene, you become susceptible to tooth decay beneath the Pontic and the dental crowns. Therefore it is incredibly essential for you to care for your replacement teeth and never neglect them because you can become vulnerable to requiring replacements again quite soon.