Complete Your Smile with a Dental Bridge
Having one or more missing teeth not only makes your smile less attractive, it also impacts the functionality of your bite. A dental bridge is a prosthetic device that fills in (or “bridges”) the space left from missing teeth with realistic looking tooth replacements. Dr. John Krell recommends them as a practical and affordable solution for patients who want to restore a beautiful, healthy smile.
Benefits of Dental Bridges
Restoring a full, functional row of teeth is important for multiple reasons. For starters, it’s necessary to maintain a quality bite. When you have a missing tooth, you will most likely alter the way you chew to avoid this gap. In the long term, this can permanently change your biting motion and cause significant jaw pain.
Wearing a dental bridge can also improve your speech. People commonly have speech impediments or slur their words when they have missing teeth, but these problems typically fade after a dental bridge is attached.
Bridges are also great for maintaining proper teeth alignment. Anytime there is a hole in your smile, your other teeth start to drift into the empty space. Fortunately, a dental bridge can keep your other teeth in perfect alignment.
Of course, a dental bridge can also improve the attractiveness of your smile. Prosthetic teeth that are part of a bridge are created to look exactly like your other teeth (in terms of shade, size, and shape) so your smile appears seamless.
Types of Dental Bridges
Dr. Krell offers four types of dental bridges, which allows him to choose the ideal bridge for your unique dental needs.
Fixed (Traditional) Bridge
The most utilized bridge is the fixed bridge. Here, Dr. Krell attaches a dental crown to each natural tooth adjacent to the missing tooth. These crowns anchor the prosthetic tooth (or multiple teeth if necessary) to close the gap.
Cantilever Bridge
The cantilever bridge is like a fixed bridge, except that it uses just one crown to attach to your natural teeth. While this option is slightly less secure given that it only has one anchor, it is a great option when there are no other teeth for the bridge to connect to.
Maryland Bridge
Instead of dental crowns, a Maryland bridge uses a framework behind your natural teeth to hold an artificial tooth in place. There must be natural teeth on both sides of your missing tooth/teeth for this type of bridge to work correctly.
Implant-Supported Bridge
This bridge uses dental implants to hold prosthetic teeth in the middle in place. It is a great option if you have several missing teeth in a row but do not wish to pay for dental implants to replace each tooth.
Dental Bridge Procedure Details
The process and number of appointments necessary for a dental bridge depends on the type of bridge you and Dr. Krell agree is ideal for your mouth and budget. Because Dr. Krell has state-of-the-art CEREC technology, it is possible for him to create a dental bridge in his office on the same day instead of sending the information off to a laboratory for a couple of weeks. Whether your dental bridge involves dental crowns, dental implants, or a porcelain framework, Dr. Krell will give you a thorough breakdown of what you can expect and make sure you are comfortable throughout the procedure.
Contact Dr. Krell
To learn more about dental bridges and other tooth replacement options available to you, please schedule an appointment with Dr. Krell at his Houston office. Call (713) 877-1775 today.
