What are dental bridges?
Dental bridges are a combination of crowns that go on your own teeth, and they also fill a space or gap in between those teeth.
What is the difference between a bridge and a denture?
The difference between a bridge and a denture is that the denture is removable, while a bridge is cemented onto your own teeth.
What are the pros and cons of a dental bridge?
The pros and cons of a dental bridge are: the pro is that you will have a space filled, looking like a natural tooth. The con is that we would have to prepare the teeth next to it for crowns. If your teeth next to that empty space do not need crowns, bridges might not be the best choice.
What are the different types of dental bridges?
Different types of dental bridges could be a standard dental bridge, which is a maximum of a four-unit bridge that goes on two natural teeth and fills in a space and gap in between, or it can be a Maryland bridge, which fills a gap and prepares one tooth for a crown, but the other tooth does not necessarily have to be prepared for a full crown.
What are the alternatives to a dental bridge?
There are alternatives to a dental bridge, some of which would be getting implants in the empty spaces or getting removable partial dentures in that space.
What is a cantilever dental bridge?
A cantilever dental bridge is when we place a crown on one tooth, and the extra space is either behind or in front of that tooth, with no other teeth after that. We usually do not recommend cantilever dental bridges because they do fail.
What are the benefits of dental bridges?
The benefits of dental bridges are that you can get a space filled with a natural-looking tooth and get the function that you need in that space.
Are dental bridges painful?
Dental bridges are not painful because our patients get numbing and local anesthesia in the area.
What does the dental bridge procedure involve?
The dental bridge procedure involves removing the temporary, numbing our patient, cleaning out the tooth, and trying on the dental bridge, making sure it fits well and the patient likes the color and the match. Then, cementing that on, cleaning everything up, and checking the bite.
How long do dental bridges last?
Dental crowns and dental bridges can also last as long as 10 to 15 years with proper maintenance and cleanings.
How do you care for your dental bridge?
To care for your dental bridge, you should get more frequent cleanings and avoid anything sticky, chewy, or hard substances, such as nuts.
If you’re ready to schedule an exam or would like to learn more about our services, we’d love to hear from you. Call us at (310) 499-2048 or email [email protected]. We look forward to caring for your smile.