Missing teeth cause a range of issues, both dental and mental. And the longer you take to replace a missing tooth, the worse these issues can become. Fortunately, dental problems like shifting teeth and the inability to eat comfortably are avoidable with the right dental treatment.
An effective way to replace one or more missing teeth is with a dental bridge. The most common type of dental bridge consists of a pontic (false tooth) to cover the gap, and two crowns, one on either side of the pontic. And if you only have one available tooth adjacent to the gap, you can opt for a cantilever bridge, which uses just one crown to support the pontic.
A bridge provides you with the following benefits.
1. Prevents Tooth Misalignment
The surrounding teeth in a dental arch respond to the loss of a tooth. And in time, they can begin to shift. Adjacent teeth shift toward the gap, and the surrounding teeth then follow suit. The opposing tooth also shifts toward the space where the missing tooth was. All of these changes can eventually cause widespread tooth misalignment that makes it difficult to eat and speak.
A dental bridge fills the space once occupied by the missing tooth. Although the pontic (false tooth) rests just above the gum tissue with no visible gap, the two crowns on either side of the pontic prevent the adjacent teeth from shifting.
2. Improves Your Ability to Speak
Missing teeth in the front of the mouth have a negative impact on one's speaking ability. This is because the tongue no longer rests where it should as a person speaks. And if a person plays a musical instrument or sings for a hobby or even a living, a missing tooth can become a serious issue.
Because a pontic acts like a real tooth does, albeit with support from the two abutment teeth, it can improve speaking ability.
3. Distributes Your Bite Forces Evenly
Chewing with a missing tooth can be difficult and uncomfortable. Worse than that, because the surrounding teeth then need to chew more to make up for the missing tooth, they experience more wear and tear. This could lead to the need for restorative dental treatment on those teeth in future.
A dental bridge will allow a person to distribute biting forces evenly when eating and chewing.
4. Restores the Face Shape
Missing teeth - especially several missing teeth - can change the shape of a person's face. Teeth support the facial tissues, such as muscles and skin, giving the face a fuller and more youthful appearance. One missing tooth will cause minor changes. But several missing teeth will lead to noticeable changes in face shape.
A dental bridge can replace two or more teeth and help to restore lost facial shape and fullness.
5. Strengthens and Beautifies the Adjacent Teeth
When the teeth on either side of a missing tooth are in poor condition, a dental bridge can improve their appearance and structural integrity because a dentist places a porcelain crown on each of those teeth. This distributes chewing forces between the two supports. And it can also mean that if those two adjacent teeth were unattractive or weak, the porcelain crowns will cover them and provide durability and beauty.
6. Provides the Ability to Smile With Confidence
A missing tooth can severely hamper a person's ability to smile. This, naturally, causes a loss of confidence when interacting socially with others. But a dental bridge gives the patient back their ability to smile, which can, in turn, boost their self-esteem and confidence.
A single dental bridge can replace one or more teeth in the same arch. If you'd like to restore your ability to speak, eat, and smile with comfort, a bridge could be the right choice for you. Call Eastland Dental Center and Professional Dental Center today, and we'll help you choose a
custom dental bridge to restore your smile and confidence.
