What Are the Benefits of Dental Bridges?
Have you recently ? Tooth loss affects more than just the appearance of your smile. It can also affect your oral health and quality of life. For example, a missing tooth can make it difficult to eat your favorite foods or talk with confidence. Our Columbus, OH, dentist understands this and offers a few restorative solutions, one of which being dental bridges.
Here are 5 and the main components that make it functional.
How Does a Dental Bridge Work?
Like the name suggests, a dental bridge “bridges” the gap left in your smile after losing a tooth. The restoration itself consists of a false tooth (also known as a pontic) that is anchored on both sides by natural teeth or dental implants which are capped with porcelain crowns. Many of our patients appreciate that look and feel natural.
Related Post → Dental Bridges: Types and Advantages
You may be a candidate for a dental bridge if you’re experiencing:
- Severe tooth decay
- Trauma or injury to the mouth
- Periodontal disease
- Medical issues that prohibit the placement of implants
- Older age
In General, Dental Bridges Can Help You:
1. Maintain (and Upgrade) Oral Health
The dental bridge procedure can significantly improve the appearance of your smile, especially one that is placed in the front of your mouth. Not only will it give you confidence, but it can help you avoid further tooth loss or crowding of surrounding teeth. Having the bridge securely integrated into your smile will keep other teeth where they need to be and help preserve your natural face structure.
The sooner you ask Dr. Gibson about getting a bridge, the better chance you’ll have of being able to maintain good oral health.
2. Prevent Further Tooth Loss
It’s important to understand that your teeth are held in place by roots and surrounding teeth. As mentioned above, this means that when you lose a tooth, nearby teeth start to tilt toward the open space or even become loose. A dental bridge works to prevent this from happening by filling the empty tooth socket so nearby teeth are held in place.
Learn More → 5 Dental Restorations That Can Save Your Smile
3. Speak With Ease
It’s not uncommon for people with missing teeth to speak with a lisp or have difficulty pronouncing certain words. Your teeth play a vital role in how you form words in your mouth. To see what we mean, try reading aloud to see how many times your lips or tongue come in contact with your teeth. Dental bridges not only improve the outward look of your smile, but they also make it easier for you to speak clearly and with confidence.
4. Eat Without Pain or Difficulty
After losing a tooth, you may experience pain while chewing. Dental plaque and food particles can also collect in the empty tooth socket and increase your risk for gingivitis or periodontal disease. A dental bridge is a form of tooth replacement that lets you keep eating your favorite foods. After getting a dental bridge, you’ll be able to eat without pain and have an easier time maintaining a balanced diet.
5. Keep Your Jawbone Tissue Healthy
Your jawbone tissue needs stimulation from tooth roots to stay healthy. After tooth extraction, the jawbone starts to deteriorate to the extent that you could risk further tooth loss or even facial collapse. A dental bridge helps keep jawbone tissue healthy so you can maintain good oral health and keep the shape of your face.
Ask Dr. Gibson About a Bridge Today
Our , and his staff at Gibson Dental are dedicated to helping patients fix their smiles after tooth loss with restorative dentistry services. If you are ready to request an appointment with us, call today at (614) 878-9562.
This blog post has been updated.