How dental bridges span gaps, rebuild your smile
If you are concerned about changes with how a tooth feels, looks, and is functioning, don’t worry! Ferrari Dental is here in Montville, New Jersey, to help. Dr. Jon Ferrari and our team provide all the treatments modern dental science and technology have to offer to rebuild portions of a damaged tooth or replace it entirely â including durable and cosmetic dental bridges.
Why would I need a bridge?
Bridges are appropriate when a tooth is beyond repair. We may not be able to preserve a cracked, badly decayed, infected, or otherwise severely damaged tooth with procedures like root canal therapy. In these cases, the affected tooth would have to be removed or extracted. To prevent further complications and close gaps that mar the appearance of your smile, we want to explore options to replace the tooth as soon as possible. The bridge represents one of these options.
What is a bridge?
Like the bridges you cross every day to get to work or when running or biking on a trail, dental bridges come in a variety of different “designs.” The most common is a three-unit bridge. It is made up of three key parts:
- The replacement tooth (“pontic”)
- A dental crown to the left of the replacement tooth
- A dental crown to the right of the pontic
These three parts are fused together to make your bridge. The bridge is then applied to the teeth closest to the gap. Once applied and cemented in place, the bridge fills in the gap.
What holds the bridge in place?
The bridge is anchored in place by the neighboring teeth. Known as abutments, these teeth need to be slightly reshaped before they are “crowned.” Once the crowns are applied over the abutments, the pontic connected to them fills the empty space, and the new tooth is stabilized or held up by these anchor teeth.
So, bridges are not removable?
There are removable bridges or “flippers,” but they are generally used as a temporary solution for missing teeth. They are less durable, more bulky, and do not feel as stable as fixed dental bridges. With the bridges placed by Dr. Ferrari, you can fearlessly and naturally eat, laugh, speak, and otherwise use your teeth. These teeth are not going anywhere and stay put, because they are anchored to their neighbors.
Can I use a bridge to replace more than one tooth?
Yes! Dr. Ferrari may design longer bridges. This simply involves making additional pontics. These pontics are then fused to the crowns and placed and cemented over the teeth just like we do with a standard, three-unit bridge.
How long do dental bridges last?
Dental bridges can last for several years, but they do require special care. It’s important to remove food particles, bacteria, and plaque that can become lodged in the space underneath the bridge. Ferrari Dental can provide you with special floss and interdental brushes and picks to try, as well as demonstrate cleaning techniques to more easily and effectively remove the “bad stuff” from under your bridge. This keeps the bridge healthy and does not compromise the integrity of the neighboring natural teeth, either.
Call (973) 263-2967 today to learn more about options for replacing missing teeth at our office in Montville, NJ.
