A Bridge Not Too Far

It’s estimated that roughly 70% of Americans between the ages of 35 and 44 have at least one missing tooth. These people may have lost a tooth to injury or decay and thought they’d take care of it later. But as time passed, the logic for replacing the tooth became cloudy and the person just left the gap.

There are a few problems with that line of thinking. First, if the missing tooth is in a visible location, it can cause a person to sub-consciously avoid smiling to cover the flaw. Second, no matter where the gap, the adjacent teeth try to slide over and fill the gap. This is because there is no longer any pressure keeping the teeth in place. This movement can seriously mess up not only the alignment of your teeth, but your bite. Third, missing teeth above mean deteriorating jawbone below. Without teeth to transfer bite force energy down into the jawbone below, that jawbone tends to deteriorate over time.

A bridge can be an effective way for Dr. Egger to fill that gap and maintain your smile and your bite.

What can be done with a bridge?

A bridge can be used to restore one, two, or three missing teeth in a row. A partial denture can also accomplish this, and dental implants can replace one or two missing teeth. But, as long as the teeth on both sides of the gap are healthy, a bridge is a popular choice.

A bridge is made up of an artificial tooth, also called a pontic, that is surrounded on each side by a crown. The crowns are placed atop the healthy teeth on both sides of the gap. These are called the abutment teeth. Porcelain and porcelain fused to metal are the most common materials in dental bridges.

Other types of bridges

Other than the traditional bridge described above, Dr. Egger creates other types of bridges:

Cantilever bridge — This type of bridge is similar to a traditional bridge, but is used in cases where there is only support on one side of the bridge (for instance when a person is missing a back molar). Usually two consecutive teeth are crowned on the one side.

Resin-bonded bridge — Unlike bridges where crowns hold the pontic between, in this type of bridge metal bands and dental bonding resin attach the pontic to the adjacent teeth. The metal bands are positioned on the backside of the support teeth to make them less noticeable. This type of bridge is often used to fill a gap in the front teeth.

Implant-supported bridges — In these bridges, one or more titanium implants are placed into the jawbone where they fuse into the bone. These implants then provide the support for the bridge. These are the strongest type of bridge.

If you’re missing a tooth or teeth, call Dr. Egger at 989-773-3560 and let’s talk about a dental bridge.