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Dental Bridges – Zionsville, IN
Restore the Function & Feeling
of An Arch of Teeth
Millions of people across the country suffer from tooth loss that wears down on their confidence and makes it difficult to do basic daily tasks such as speaking and eating. If you fall into this category, you don’t have to lose hope for restoring your smile. At Trinity Dental, we offer customized dental bridges that are crafted from some of the highest quality materials. Not only do they seamlessly blend in with the rest of your teeth, but they also last for over a decade with the proper maintenance. If you’re missing one or more consecutive teeth, start your journey towards rebuilding your grin by scheduling a consultation with us today to discuss tooth replacement options, including dental bridges in Zionsville, IN!
Why Choose Trinity Dental for Dental Bridges?
- Porcelain & Ceramic Dental Bridges
- Can Replace Consecutive Missing Teeth
- Custom-Tailored Tooth Replacements
What is a Dental Bridge?
A dental bridge is a restoration that contains two dental crowns placed on either side of an artificial replacement tooth, called a pontic. The crowns are attached to your natural teeth on either side of the gap in your smile to hold the pontics in place. The restoration is stable and secure, so you can continue eating the foods that you enjoy, just be mindful of eating sticky, chewy, and hard items that could damage your restoration. Bridges are most commonly crafted from natural-looking materials such as porcelain, which makes them virtually indistinguishable from home-grown pearly whites.
The Benefits of Getting a Dental Bridge
Dental bridges in Zionsville offer a simple and cost-effective tooth replacement solution that benefits your oral health. Not only will replacing your missing teeth restore your ability to chew and speak, but it will also hold the surrounding natural teeth in place. That way, you won’t have to worry about developing orthodontic issues like bite misalignment that would require additional treatment down the road. In addition to these advantages, dental bridges can improve your oral health by closing gaps in your mouth where plaque and bacteria can easily hide. When left untreated, this issue can increase your risk of developing gum disease and tooth decay, which could lead to losing additional teeth.
The Process of Getting a Fixed Bridge
Getting a dental bridge typically takes place over the course of two appointments. During your first appointment, Dr. Julovich will examine your mouth and X-rays and let you know whether you would make a good candidate for the procedure. After discussing the benefits and how a dental bridge can help restore the function and look of your smile, he will prepare your teeth on either side of the gap in your mouth and take impressions of the area to send off to the dental laboratory in order to craft your customized restoration. Once it arrives to the dental office, we’ll call you back in and permanently place it in your mouth, transforming and completing your grin.
If you have any questions about the process or believe that you may benefit from getting a dental crown, don’t hesitate to contact our dental office to schedule a consultation!
Dental Bridges FAQs
Can You Take a Dental Bridge Out?
Dental bridges are designed to remain securely in the mouth for many years after they are cemented in place, so you should not be able to remove your appliance without the help of a dental professional. While some people refer to partial dentures as “removable bridges,” this is a misnomer. While partials are designed to be easily removed by the patient for hygiene purposes, it should not be possible for you to remove your bridge.
Is Getting a Dental Bridge Painful?
Placing a dental bridge requires either the reshaping of healthy teeth or the placement of dental implants on either side of a gap created by missing teeth, but the procedure used to do so is perfectly painless. In either case, you’ll receive an appropriate anesthetic treatment before treatment begins to ensure your comfort. After your bridge has been placed, you may experience some sensitivity in your teeth or jawbone for several days afterward, but taking prescribed or over-the-counter pain medications as instructed can help you reduce your discomfort. However, contact our office in Zionsville if your discomfort is getting worse instead of better after several days. Dental bridges can help your remaining teeth avoid drifting out of place, which can prevent much discomfort resulting from misalignments later on.
How Long Should a Dental Bridge Last?
The average dental bridge can last anywhere between five and fifteen years, and the lifespan of your appliance depends largely on the material it was made from. While metal bridges may have longer average lifespans than metal-free ones, this is not always the case, and the difference is often negligible. However, the single most important contributor to your bridge’s lifespan is how well you take care of it. Poor dental hygiene, oral injuries, and bad habits like smoking, teeth grinding, nail-biting, and ice-chewing can all reduce the longevity of your appliance. Bridges that replace the molars may wear out sooner than those positioned in the front of the mouth since they endure more pressure when chewing. However, bridges that are supported by dental implants can last much longer than traditional appliances. While the appliance itself will have to be replaced eventually, the implants supporting them can last for several decades if they receive excellent care.
How Many Teeth Can a Dental Bridge Replace?
A dental bridge can replace anywhere from one to four sequential missing teeth depending on the patient’s needs. However, traditional bridges are typically only used to replace one or two teeth. Longer bridges are less stable than shorter ones, and this problem only becomes worse if the teeth supporting a traditional appliance are not healthy and strong. While it can be risky to place a bridge with three or more teeth, securing such an appliance with dental implants can give it greater stability so it can work well and last a long time.