Our professional friendly San Antonio dentist office staff knows that your smile’s appearance and functionality can be adversely affected by missing teeth. Missing teeth, one or many, can cause a change in bite, or commonly referred to by dentists as occlusion, teeth being moved and shifted around, a disorder known as TMJ, or temporomandibular joint, speech impediments, an increased risk for periodontal disease and a greater chance of tooth decay.
Dental bridges, like implants and partial dentures, are used to replace missing teeth. There are several types of fixed dental bridges (cannot be removed), including conventional fixed bridges, cantilever bridges and resin-bonded bridges.
Conventional and cantilever bridges usually require shaping of the teeth surrounding a lost tooth. Crowns, or "caps", are then placed on the shaped teeth and attached to an artificial tooth referred to as a pontic.
A resin-bonded bridge doesn’t need as much preparation of adjacent teeth. Sometimes it is used to replace front teeth, if the gums are healthy and the surrounding teeth haven’t had any extensive dental fillings.
Am I an Ideal Candidate for a Dental Bridge?
Your dentist looks at the health of your gums and other existing teeth to determine whether you are an ideal candidate for a dental bridge during your first visit to our San Antonio dental office. If the dentist determines that you are a strong candidate for a dental bridge, a local anesthetic must be given to you in order for your dentist to be able to prepare the teeth needed to support the bridge. Your dentist may have to build decayed or broken down teeth back up prior to them being used to support teeth for the bridge.
After that, an impression of the prepared teeth is made by your dentist with a putty-like material that is used to create a mold of your teeth. Your bridge is fabricated based on this model by a skilled lab technician so that it precisely fits the prepared teeth. Having a restoration fit perfectly is key to avoid additional oral health problems such as tooth decay.
During the fabrication process, your dentist will fit you with a temporary bridge until the permanent one is ready so the teeth and gums can be protected from damage.
You have return to the dental office for a follow up visit to have the bridge fitted and cemented in order to complete the dental bridge procedure. We use the latest in advanced technology to provide the San Antonio dental bridge procedure.
