When you have lost a tooth, this could leave behind a gap in your smile. Which is when you need a dental prosthetic like a bridge to fill the empty space in your smile, otherwise the health and appearance of your smile could suffer. In today’s blog, your Celina, TX, dentist talks about how we address tooth loss with a dental bridge, so you can smile with confidence again!
The Loss of Natural Teeth
Why do we lose our natural teeth? What happens to leave gaps behind in our smile? Minor tooth loss could be due to an injury to the face or jaw. An untreated cavity or an infection could also lead to missing teeth. The most common case of tooth loss in adults is gum disease, or more accurately, the periodontitis stage. When this happens, the gap could cause misalignment, as the teeth shift due to the empty space in your smile. This not only changes your smile’s appearance, but could also lead to a greater risk of tooth decay and gum disease. The imbalance and jaw joint strain tooth loss could cause also means a higher risk of TMJ disorder and bruxism (teeth grinding). You may also have issues with eating or even clear speech if the gap is wide enough. But we can address between one and three missing teeth in a row with a custom dental bridge.
Creating a Custom Dental Prosthetic
We take a custom approach to ensure the prosthetic looks natural, but also that you enjoy good bite balance and avoid stress on your jaw joints. To begin, we need to numb the abutment teeth, the natural ones on each side of the gap, and remove structure from them. Next, we take detailed digital images and impressions of the prepared teeth and the gap itself, which we use in a dental lab to design and craft your custom bridge. The prosthetic is crafted from ceramic, which we can shade to blend with your smile. The material can also absorb daily bite forces and pressures too!
Securing Your Bridge
When the bridge is ready, we will attach the crown portions to the abutment teeth to secure your replacement teeth firmly in place. You now have a full smile, and the prosthetic itself can last for 10 to 15 years on average. If you have any questions about how we treat tooth loss, then contact our team today to learn more. Let’s start 2025 with a full smile!
Do You Have Questions About Prosthetic Dentistry?
We want to help you enjoy a full smile, with results that blend with your smile. To schedule an appointment with Celina Family Dentistry in Celina, TX, call (214) 851-0130.
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