Bridges

Understanding fixed bridges-filling the gap…

Fixed Bridges

Fixed bridges, quite simply, replace missing teeth to make chewing easier,improve appearance,and keep your teeth,gums,and jaws healthy.

Bridges consist of one or more replacement teeth attached to the natural teeth next to them. The replacement teeth plus the crowns form a solid unit that is cemented into place to restore your natural bite. They are made of various metals,porcelain,or a combination of the two.

Often people underestimate the value of every tooth in term of beauty-even those in the back of the mouth. Although the spaces created by these missing teeth may not be visible, they can cause a variety of problems and start a vicious cycle of destruction. In a normal healthy mouth your teeth have a natural balance. Each upper tooth contacts the corresponding lower tooth, allowing for a well-balanced chewing function.

Losing a tooth quickly destroys this balance. Just one missing tooth can cause the position of other teeth to change-some teeth may tilt forward, or opposing teeth may move down. A missing tooth can also create spaces between your teeth, changing your bite and smile. These shifting, drifting and tilting teeth can cause a variety of problems such as difficult or painful chewing (due to changes in your muscles,bones,and joints), or abnormal decay areas (due to teeth that are hard to reach and keep clean) which accelerates periodontal (gum) disease.

Generally, if the missing tooth is not replaced,more teeth may eventually be lost due to the improper forces exerted during chewing.

In short, by replacingmissing teeth you can:

• Help restore and maintain a natural bite.
• Prevent unnatural stress on other teeth.
• Help keep opposing teeth in their proper place.
• Prevent shifting and tilting of adjacent teeth.
• Help prevent further dental decay and periodontal (gum) disease.
• Maximize your smile, speech and chewing function.

If you lose a tooth, you can avoid unwanted problems and save remaining teeth by visiting your dentist immediately.

The Procedure

It will take two or more dental visits to prepare and fit your bridge.

First ,your dentist reshapes the support teeth that will hold the crowns of your fixed bridge. Then an impression of the prepared tooth, and of the surrounding and opposing teeth, is taken. If appearance counts, your dentist selects a colour from a guide to make sure the replacement teeth match the colour of your natural teeth. To protect your prepared teeth while the fixed bridge is being made,your dentist may fit a temporary bridge that is held in place by temporary cement.

Between visits expect to wait about one week while the lab work is being done. Be careful when cleaning your teeth or eating because your temporary bridge can loosen. Let your dentist know immediately if the temporary bridge comes off or does loosen.

At your second visit, your temporary bridge is removed and your dentist places the fixed bridge onto your prepared teeth, adjusting it in your mouth. When the fit and bite are comfortable ,the fixed bridge is cemented permanently into place.

Living With Your Fixed Bridge

Fixed bridges appear and function similar to natural teeth. They remain in the mouth at all times and can only be removed by your dentist.

Good oral hygiene can help your bridge last a long time. You can extend your treatment life expectancy by:

• Brushing after each meal. Brush the surfaces and sides of your bridge like you do your natural teeth.
• Use an interdental brush to clean between large spaces.
• Flossing at least once a day to clean food and bacteria from between teeth and at the gum line.
• Special thick floss can help keep your bridge clean, and floss threaders help you floss under a fixed bridge.

Seeing your dentist at least twice a year for a cleaning and checkup. Ask your dentist about special cleaning aids for your bridge. Alternatives to fixed bridges include removable partial dentures which are the most common alternative ,or implants with crowns and/or fixed prostheses placed over them.

Missing teeth don’t always hurt,and may seem harmless enough.But if they are not fixed or replaced quickly, they can lead to chewing problems, affect other teeth,and affect how you look and feel.