Bridges
Missing teeth can really detract from your quality of life. Whether you’re having trouble chewing your favorite foods, you feel self-conscious about smiling, or you’ve experienced the social stigma associated with missing teeth, we can help.
A dental bridge is a time-tested alternative to dental implants for anyone who is missing one or more teeth. At Ponce de Leon Family Dentistry, you have options, and St. Augustine dentist Dr. T. Daniel Haeussner is happy to sit down with you and review those options so that you can come to the decision about your dental health that’s right for you.
What Is a Dental Bridge?
A bridge is a tooth-replacement appliance that replaces missing teeth. The artificial tooth that fits into the space left by your missing teeth is known as the pontic. The pontic is held in place by crowns that are affixed to the adjacent teeth. Unlike dentures, your bridge will not be removable since it is cemented into place, which means that a bridge affords more stability than a removable partial denture.
If you are missing multiple teeth, we can also discuss a bridge that is held in place using dental implants. This option gives you the bone-retaining benefits of dental implants and doesn’t require us to alter otherwise-healthy teeth.
Dr. Haeussner will use his artistic skill to design a bridge that blends in beautifully with your existing teeth so that nobody will ever know the difference.
Why Should You Replace Your Missing Teeth?
On the surface, the answer to this question seems obvious – missing teeth don’t look good and they can make it more difficult to enjoy your favorite foods. But the issue is actually more complex than that. Missing teeth can have a serious long-term impact on your overall dental health.
Missing teeth create a gap in your chewing surface. In many cases, people will compensate for that by chewing on the other side of the mouth. But this puts a great deal of extra pressure on your remaining teeth and could lead to excessive wear, erosion, or even cracking and fracturing. Changes in the alignment of your bite are also associated with bruxism – clenching or grinding of the teeth. You may also develop temporomandibular joint disorder (usually shortened to TMJ or TMD), a painful condition that affects the joint where your lower jaw connects to your skull.
We carefully design bridges to complete the chewing surface and function well among your other teeth. This helps to avoid these problems and saves you considerable discomfort, stress, and hassle.
Missing Teeth? Schedule Your Appointment Today
Don’t wait another day to deal with the gaps in your smile. Call us today to schedule a consultation and see if a dental bridge is the right option for you.
