# Dental Bridges

Dental health is a very important part of everyone’s well-being. You can tell a lot about a person from how their breath smells or how their teeth look. At times, due to factors beyond our control, we end up losing some teeth. This could be just one tooth or several depending on the extent of the damage.

Dental bridges are usually built to cover space that is left by missing teeth. When you have a missing tooth, the space left can cause the remaining teeth to shift and rotate into the space. This shifting can give you a bad bite when eating and may be painful in the long run. You can also develop temporomandibular joint disorder or gum disease may start eating up the gum around the space, so oral hygiene and dental care is most important in this case.

#### Reasons for Using Dental Bridges

It is important to fill these spaces to prevent developing any gum diseases in the mouth. Dental bridges usually span to fill the space that is left by missing teeth. Due to the delicate nature of the gum, the replacement tooth, known as a pontic, is usually attached to the surrounding teeth. The surrounding teeth, abutments, usually offer a firmer anchorage for the bridge than if placed on gums.

Depending on different needs, a bridge can be made from several materials. They are all suitable for building bridges and bridge choice depends on your preferences.

#### Materials Used for Bridges

Bridges can be built from porcelain, ceramics, gold, metal alloys or acrylic. When a porcelain or ceramic bridge is built for your mouth, it can be made to have the natural color of your teeth. Metal alloy bridges are usually strong and are recommended for teeth in the back of your mouth. These teeth are mostly involved in chewing and need to be stronger than the front teeth.

#### What to Expect When Getting a Dental Bridge

When building a dental bridge, dentists usually resize the surrounding teeth so that the bridge can fit properly. The crown is usually removed and a smooth surface is created around the teeth. Next, an exact impression of the teeth is made; this impression ensures that a shape similar to your teeth is made. When porcelain or ceramic bridges are made, exact shades of the teeth are made. The patient is then given a temporary bridge to protect the gum and the prepared abutments before the permanent bridge is built. Next an impression is taken to a dentist’s lab to create the bridge. After it is ready, the dentist takes out the temporary bridge and puts the permanent bridge in place. Dental bridges are important as they help you have a better smile, and in cases where a front tooth is missing, restore your ability to chew by evenly distributing the force in a bite and maintain the shape of the face.

So, if you have a missing tooth or several missing teeth, contact us at Avenue Dental Care and have a bridge built to restore that smile! You can also call our Spokane, WA dental practice (509.467.8000) or our Spokane Valley, WA dental practice (509.926.1500) to schedule your next appointment and learn more about fixed dental bridges or visit our dental care treatment section for more information.

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