Bridges - a Fixed Solution to Replace Missing Teeth

Wansbeck House Dental Spa A bridge is where false teeth are anchored onto prepared neighbouring teeth. The false tooth is usually fused in between two crowns that serve as anchors for the false tooth.

Teeth can be lost for many reasons – gum disease, decay, trauma are just a few. Missing teeth can severely impact your confidence, self-esteem, and your ability to chew your favourite foods well. Are you conscious of gaps in your mouth, do you cover your mouth when you smile? How would it make you feel to your missing teeth replaced, and not have gaps in your mouth?

Tooth loss causes a natural shrinkage of the bone, especially in the lower half of your face. This impacts on how you look, making your cheeks sag, causing a loss of volume around your mouth, deep folds can appear over time, and this can make you look years older, and age prematurely.

Each and every tooth in our mouth is important. When we lose even one tooth, the opposing tooth then has nothing to bite against, so we then rely on other teeth in our mouth to chew our food. This results in overloading other teeth, and this can have serious consequences. Adjacent natural teeth can also tilt unfavourably into the space creating problems of food packing, gum problems, and decay. It is essential that missing teeth are replaced as soon as possible to prevent other problems in the mouth.

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What are the components of a bridge?

A bridge is made up of:

The missing tooth (pontic)
The anchoring teeth that hold the false tooth in place (retainers).

When are bridges used?

Bridges are used when one or more teeth are missing that are causing the following problems:

Affecting your appearance and your smile
You are unable to chew properly due to missing teeth
Your facial appearance has changed due to your missing teeth – sagging cheeks, loss of volume around your mouth making you look years older
Your speech has been affected by missing teeth
To prevent teeth adjacent to your missing teeth tilting unfavourably into the space
The rest of your teeth are at risk due to being overloaded by the effect of your missing teeth

What is involved?

Initial Consultation:

Wansbeck House Dental Spa At you initial appointment, Dr. Varaich will assess the gaps in your mouth and advise you of the different options to replace these gaps. Other alternatives to restore the spaces are dentures or implants. These options do not involve preparation of your neighbouring teeth.

Your mouth, and your adjacent teeth must be healthy, and appropriate for this treatment, so that the bridge has the best chance to be successful for years to come!

Preparation of your teeth for a bridge

The teeth adjacent to the missing teeth are prepared to allow room for the bridge. An impression (mould) is then taken for a highly trained technician to fabricate a bridge that fits your teeth perfectly. A cosmetic temporary bridge is then usually placed.

Securely cementing the bridge

At a second visit, the temporary bridge is removed, and the bridge is simply sat over your teeth. You and Dr. Varaich will ensure that you are both completely satisfied with the look, shape and colour of your new teeth. The bridge is then securely cemented to your underlying teeth leaving you with a beautiful and natural looking smile!

Call us now to discuss how we can replace your missing teeth beautifully and allow you to smile with confidence again!