Dental Bridges

A bridge can take the place of teeth you’ve lost through a sports injury, car accident or fall. When comparing a dental bridge vs. implant, there are pros and cons to each treatment. If you ask the doctors at Atlas Park Dental how long a dental bridge lasts, you may be surprised to learn how durable they are with proper treatment. Get the facts before you make a decision. Contact at our dental clinic in Glendale for an evaluation and expert advice.

A dental bridge is a common solution for tooth loss. When you lose a tooth for any reason — from an injury or from advanced periodontal disease that requires the tooth be extracted — you’re left with an empty space in your mouth. If you do nothing, you run the risk of a skewed bite, as the neighboring teeth may migrate into the empty spot.

By fitting you with a bridge, the doctors at Atlas Park Dental introduce an artificial tooth into your mouth to fill the space. The new tooth keeps the rest of your teeth aligned and your bite sound. You can get a bridge to replace one tooth or a span of consecutive teeth. And you don’t need surgery to fit a bridge between your teeth.

How a Bridge Works

A dental bridge is one or more artificial teeth anchored in place between adjacent real teeth or implants. These teeth, real or implanted, are called the abutment teeth. They act as anchors to secure the bridge. Your dental bridge effectively spans the gap of your missing teeth, from one abutment tooth to the next.

The artificial teeth between the abutment teeth are called pontics. Pontics may be made from porcelain, gold, metal alloys or a combination of materials. Which material your dentist chooses depends on the location of the bridge in your mouth. Near the front of your mouth, the ideal material is porcelain or a similar material that resembles the color and shape of your natural teeth, such as a zirconia crown.

Bridging the Gap

Your cosmetic dentist at Atlas Park Dental uses a numbing anesthetic where your bridge will be. The next step, if your abutment teeth are real, is to re-contour them so they can be fitted with crowns. The crowns anchor the bridge to your mouth. When dental implants secure your bridge, the contouring isn’t necessary because the bridge is fit to the metal posts of your implant.

To re-contour a real abutment tooth, your dentist removes some enamel, slightly filing down your natural tooth so that a crown fits directly onto it. Since this process takes several dental appointments, you’re provided a temporary bridge while your permanent bridge is custom made. Once your permanent bridge is complete, the temporary one is removed before the new one cemented into place.

Your Dental Bridge Cost

First, you must have good oral health. You can’t get a bridge until the doctors at Atlas Park Dental have completed any other necessary measures on the abutment teeth — such as cavity treatment or a root canal procedure, or even a Root Canal Retreatment. Several factors, including how many teeth are involved, determines the final cost of your dental bridge.

There are also a couple of different styles of bridges. The type of bridge your dental expert decides to use has a lot to do with the location of your missing teeth and how well the added pressure from your bite can be distributed.

Dental Bridge vs. Implant Teeth

You have multiple choices for replacing your missing teeth. You may want to compare a dental bridge vs. implants. Of course, in some cases, you may need both, using an implant to anchor your bridge. But if you want to compare the two techniques, consider:

• Dental implants. Implants can be expensive, and they take time — as long as six months — to heal because they require dental surgery. But if you’re only missing one tooth, an implant may be a better option for preserving your surrounding healthy teeth. And it’s a permanent solution.
• Dental bridges. Ideal for replacing two or three consecutive teeth, a bridge doesn’t require any more care than the regular routine of brushing and flossing you already do to care for your natural teeth. And if you ask, how long does a dental bridge last, you learn they typically remain sound for 10 to 15 years, well worth the investment in yourself.

You may not be a candidate for dental implants. If you’ve lost too much of your jawbone, for example, you may need a bone graft The doctors at Atlas Park Dental can clarify the advantages of a dental bridge vs. implant for your individual needs and goals. We can also discuss options like partial dentures if they are a suitable alternative.

The Best Smiles Come from Glendale

Not all of your choices have to be difficult. Atlas Park Dental has been helping people smile with quality care and compassion. Contact us today to schedule your appointment. Their Glendale office is conveniently located and accessible to patients from:

• Glendale
• Ridgewood
• Maspeth
• Middle Village
• Woodhaven
• Rego Park
• Forest Hills
• Elmhurst