Losing a tooth is something that most people hope they never experience, but many people do. Typically, tooth loss is a greater danger as you grow older. However, it isn’t an age-related issue, nor is it one that your smile can’t recover from. In fact, many patients who lose a tooth (or multiple adjacent teeth) can recover from the loss with a custom-designed dental bridge. Made to fit the precise and unique measurements of your smile, a bridge is crafted from highly lifelike materials, such as porcelain. The appliance can help your smile recover its youthful, attractive appearance as well as its health and proper function.
How a Dental Bridge Works
A dental bridge’s main purpose is to close the gap left in your smile following tooth loss. It does this by supporting a highly lifelike replacement tooth, or pontic, in place of your lost one. The pontic is bordered by equally lifelike dental crowns that your dentist bonds to the teeth closest to the gap (known as abutment teeth). Once in place, the bridge can restore the full appearance of your smile and the proper balance of your bite, allowing you to smile, bite, chew, and speak with utmost confidence once again.
The Long-Term Benefits of a Bridge
The biggest benefit to replacing your lost tooth with a bridge is the fact that your remaining healthy teeth won’t have to take up the slack of your lost one. This means you have a greater chance of keeping your smile healthy for life and avoiding the loss of any more teeth. In the more immediate term, however, a bridge offers the significant benefit of restoring your confidence in your smile and your appearance and reestablishing your bite’s ability to function properly.
Find Out How a Bridge Rebuilds Your Smile
After losing a tooth, a custom-made dental bridge could be the best way for your smile to bounce back. To learn more, schedule an appointment with your dentist by calling Keelan Dental in Butler, PA, at (724) 256-4612. Our Smile Certified experts happily serve patients from Butler, Cranberry Township, Mars, Pittsburgh, Butler County, and all surrounding communities.