dental bridges

There are many different treatments available for badly damaged or decayed teeth, but unfortunately, sometimes a tooth is beyond repair and can leave an unsightly gap in your smile. Gaps between your teeth can seriously knock your confidence, and can even have a negative impact on the functionality of your other teeth and the overall use of your mouth since, over time, your remaining teeth can shift around, causing misalignment as well as a range of other associated dental problems.

Dental bridges fill the gap where the missing tooth would have been by using a false tooth, which looks and feels just like the real thing.

The false tooth also holds the remaining teeth either side in place so that they don’t shift into that space.

How do dental bridges work?

Dental bridges are comprised of two or more crowns for the teeth on either side of the gap which act as anchors for the false tooth/teeth that will fill the gap.

Once your dental bridge is in place, it should be virtually imperceptible.

The anchoring teeth are often referred to as abutment teeth and the false teeth are often called pontics.

What are the false teeth made from? Will they look odd?

The pontics can be made from a number of different materials including metal alloys, gold or porcelain, depending on what cosmetic finish you want to achieve. If you choose porcelain, they can be color-matched to your existing teeth so that they look completely natural.

What are the benefits of dental bridges?

There are a number of benefits of having a dental bridge. They can:

• Prevent your remaining teeth from shifting position.

• Help you bite and/or chew properly.

• Correct your bite.

• Properly align your jaw.

• Maintain the shape of your face.

• Give you a great smile.