Fill that Gap with a Permanent Dental Bridge
So you found yourself in a fight at last night’s local hockey game. Your home team was crushed by the opposition and some guy out of nowhere knocked out your tooth. Or so you say. You tried to find your tooth on the ground, but no luck. What do you do? Thankfully your dentist has a solution.
By installing a porcelain bridge, your dentist can fill in the space where you lost your tooth. There are a number of different dental bridges to choose from, each representing a distinct quality and feel. Bottom line, you don’t look like you got in a fight the night before.
Bridges usually require a few hours work by your dentist. Often times, a porcelain bridge will require a couple of visits to your dentists office. On your first visit, the dentist makes preparations for the porcelain bridge by cleaning your teeth of any existing plaque and decay that may exist. Next, the dentist makes a mold that will be an exact representation of your knocked out tooth, customizing the shape of the area.
In the meantime, depending on the length of time that it may actually take to get the porcelain bridge back from the dental technician, a temporary bridge may be fitted. Once the permanent porcelain bridge replaces the temporary bridge, it becomes a permanent fixture in your mouth. There are literally several types of bridges that may come in to play. Fixed bridges span a gap, affixed to two anchor crowns supporting the entire structure.
There is what’s called a cantilever bridge which is used when only one side of the bridge can be anchored. The structure of the bridge would maintain support from one anchored crown affixed to a tooth. As with the advantages of bridgework, there are disadvantages to having a porcelain bridge as well.
Under normal circumstance, the jaw thrives on contact with the teeth. When a tooth become missing, the jaw line could recede when it has no contact with any type of tooth in the mouth. In the case of multiple missing teeth, the jaw line may recede so much so that there is an actual depression in the cheek line of the face. Patients that are considering porcelain bridges should discuss with their dentist the advantages and disadvantages of such a procedure. Keep in mind that even the best porcelain bridges placed by the best dentists may only last ten years.
