Are your patients looking to restore their smile and to get a more youthful, fresh, and vibrant look? Do they have an impaired ability to chew or speak because of gaps caused by missing teeth? Is their face at risk of losing shape from dental problems? Are they worried about the gaps left by missing teeth allowing remaining teeth to drift out of position?
If they can answer yes to any of these questions then they may be in need of a dental bridge. A dental bridge can only be fitted and mounted by a qualified dentist. Depending on the number of teeth you are missing, the process can be different for everyone. However, the basic installation process involves using the natural teeth you already have as anchors for false teeth made from porcelain, gold, or some alloys. A traditional dental bridge is made by creating a crown for the teeth on either side of a gap and putting the false teeth, or pontics, in the middle. If there are no natural teeth on one side of the section of missing teeth, a cantilever bridge may be used. Alternatively, there is a kind of bridge called a Maryland or resin-bonded bridge. This consists of plastic teeth and gums attached using a metal frame and metal wings that are bonded to existing teeth. In this method, crowns are not used.
Dental bridges may be expensive but they are a common enough practice that many dental insurance companies recognize them as necessary treatment and cover at least a percentage of the cost.
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