Dental Bridges

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Dental bridges close (or bridge) the gaps in your teeth. When a person has a missing tooth or missing teeth, it can affect her/him in a number of ways from chewing to self-esteem. A bridge is a dental device that fills a gap that a real tooth previously occupied. The traditional (fixed) bridge, which is attached by the use of crowns on the existing teeth, is the most popular type of dental bridge and can be used any time there are natural teeth on both sides of the space created by the missing tooth.

Reasons for Dental Bridges

  • having an aesthetically pleasing smile
  • maintaining shape of your face
  • preventing teeth from shifting out of position
  • correcting the ability to chew properly
  • assisting speech and pronunciation

Types of Bridges

  • A traditional (fixed) bridge consists of a false, filler tooth that is attached to two crowns, which fit over the existing real teeth and hold the bridge in place.
  • The Cantilever bridge is very similar to the traditional bridge, yet it only requires the patient to have one natural tooth next to the filler being placed.
  • The Maryland bridge is also very similar to the traditional bridge, except instead of using dental crowns, it attaches the filler tooth using a metal or porcelain framework attached to the natural teeth.
  • An Implant-supported bridge is, as the name suggests, a bridge that attaches to a dental implant (a surgically placed, false tooth) instead of a natural tooth.

Receiving a Traditional Dental Bridge

  • The natural teeth will be prepared to receive the bridge by removing some outer portion of the teeth, providing space for a crown.
  • Impressions will be taken.
  • From the impressions, a model will be created, so that a bridge can be custom fabricated.
  • Once the bridge is fabricated, it will be fitted to see if any adjustments are necessary.
  • The bridge is cemented into your mouth.

David R. Lewis DDS

  • David R. Lewis DDS - 14603 Huebner Rd. Suite 3501, San Antonio, TX 78230 Phone: 210-344-5754 Fax: 210-377-2034

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