Missing a tooth or teeth can make life hard – smiling is embarrassing, eating is difficult, and even speaking can be altered because of the gap. Even worse, missing a tooth or teeth can affect your overall health! That’s why, if you are looking for a stable, permanent solution to missing teeth but are not a candidate for an implant, we recommend the benefits of fixed dental bridges.
An experienced dentist in Tuckahoe, Dr. Gorsky, offers treatment options for missing teeth and will create a personalized treatment plan to meet your needs. Restoring the function of your smile is important for both oral and overall health and wellness. Missing teeth will start a domino effect of changes in your smile, often affecting your ability to eat and speak with comfort and confidence.
How Can a Missing Tooth Affect My Health?
Missing a tooth or teeth can affect you in many ways. Because it can make eating difficult and uncomfortable, missing teeth can lead to digestive issues and possibly malnutrition. Missing teeth can also cause the surrounding teeth to shift and move out of balance, leading to the chronic pain of TMJ disorder. A lack of tooth structure to support the bone can even lead to loss of bone and other teeth.
Replacing a lost or removed tooth is important for your long-term oral health. It supports the structure of your smile, your overall appearance, and your ability to enjoy daily life to the fullest. A dental bridge will complete your smile after tooth loss and prevent additional complex problems.
What Exactly is a Dental Bridge?
A dental bridge is a porcelain tooth or teeth permanently placed between two of your healthy teeth. The bridge is held in place by porcelain crowns bonded to the teeth on each side of the space to be filled. It actually does create a literal bridge over the gap. And because each tooth is custom-made to fit you, it looks like it has always been right there, enhancing your smile!
The process of placing a dental bridge will take a couple of office visits. The first step is to take dental impressions to create a custom-fit restoration. We will prepare the adjacent teeth to receive dental crowns if needed and place temporary restorations while your custom bridge is being created in a dental lab. Once complete, the bridge is placed and secured to compete your smile.