Addressing Mild Tooth Loss with a Bridge
Tooth loss can occur for a number of reasons, such as periodontal disease (the most common) or accidental trauma. However, regardless of the reason, losing a tooth increases your risks of increasingly worse dental issues, including further tooth loss. The best way to avoid these issues is to rebuild your smile by replacing your lost tooth, and in many cases, a dental bridge is the most appropriate way to do that. A bridge is a custom-designed prosthesis that consists of a lifelike replacement tooth (or pontic) supported by a pair of dental crowns. The crowns are bonded to the healthy teeth closest to the gap in your smile, securing your custom pontic in place.
When a Dental Bridge Works Best
Dental bridges are typically recommended for patients who’ve lost a single tooth, or more than one adjacent tooth. The supportive crowns of a dental bridge are joined to the lifelike replacement tooth/teeth, allowing the bridge to span the gap left in your smile by tooth loss. To support the bridge, your healthy teeth closest to this gap should be strong and healthy. However, in some cases, a dental bridge can be supported by one or more dental implants instead of relying on healthy, natural teeth. Implant posts can offer more lifelike support for your bridge while avoiding the need to modify your remaining healthy tooth structure.
Regain Your Youthful Smile with a Bridge
A fixed dental bridge may be the best solution for replacing a lost tooth, or multiple adjacent teeth, to rebuild your youthful smile. To learn more, schedule a consultation by calling Peddicord Family Dentistry in Ankeny, IA, today at (515) 963-3339. We also proudly serve patients of all ages from Bondurant, Polk City, Elkhart, Alleman, Cambridge, and all surrounding communities.
