Losing a tooth, even just one tooth, could lead to serious complications for your oral health. But we can help with prosthetic dentistry, addressing the gap in your smile. In today’s blog, your Astoria, NY, dentist talks about how a custom dental bridge can offer natural-looking tooth replacement.
The Impact of Minor Tooth Loss
When we lose a tooth, this gap could cause surrounding teeth to begin to drift, causing misalignment that further impacts your smile’s appearance and that could make the onset of tooth decay and gum disease more likely. If the gap includes more than one missing tooth, this could impact how you eat and may even later your speech. The stress on your jaw due to tooth loss could mean a higher risk of TMJ disorder and bruxism (teeth grinding). Instead of letting your smile change and increase the risk of further tooth loss, you should see our team to discuss help with a dental prosthetic. For minor tooth loss, between one and three lost teeth in a row, we could help with a dental bridge.
Creating a Custom Dental Prosthetic
To begin, we will numb the area where tooth loss has occurred so that we can gently remove structure from the natural teeth on each side of the gap. These are abutment teeth, and they are key for securing your prosthetic. We then take detailed digital images and measurements of the abutment teeth and the gap, which we use in a lab setting to design and fabricate your dental bridge. This will be made from ceramic, a durable material that can absorb daily bite forces and also be shaded to blend with your smile. The bridge will contain new teeth, known as pontics, with crowns attached to one or both ends.
Connecting Your Dental Bridge
When your new teeth are ready, we will connect the crown portions to the abutment teeth, which secures your new ones firmly in place. These teeth will be fixed in place and don’t need to be removed for cleaning like dentures. To help them last, you should brush and floss around them as you would natural teeth, and clean the space between the top of the gums and the bottom of the prosthetic. On average, they tend to last about 10 to 15 years before they need replacement due to changes in your jaw ridge.
If you have any questions about our dental bridges, then contact our team today to learn more and enjoy a full smile in 2025!
SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT FOR PROSTHETIC DENTISTRY
We want to help you smile with confidence and enjoy optimal oral health by addressing your missing teeth. You can schedule an appointment by calling our office in Astoria, NY at 718-728-8320.
