Dental Bridges in Scottsdale, AZ

Contact The Mini Dental Implant Centers of America in Scottsdale today to arrange your free consultation to learn if dental bridges are right for you.

There are a number of different issues that can arise when you have missing teeth. Not only can a gap in your smile hurt your self-confidence and give you plenty of social discomforts, but it can also result in some significant oral health complications, including bone loss and an increased risk of gum disease.

Fortunately, there are several different ways to replace missing teeth so that you can avoid these oral health issues and smile with confidence once again. 

One of the best options is a dental bridge. Dental bridges are a simple form of dental restoration that uses support from your natural teeth to bring back the form and function lost when your tooth or teeth came out.

Dr. Seerat Mann and Dr. Todd Shatkin along with the team at Mini Dental Implant Centers of America in Scottsdale offer dental bridges to all our patients looking to replace a missing tooth. If you’re interested in learning more, continue reading or reach out to us today. We’ll be happy to answer all your questions.

What Is a Dental Bridge?

A dental bridge is a fixed dental prosthesis designed to replace a missing tooth or teeth and restore bite power to that area of the mouth. The bridge consists of a false tooth, known as a pontic, and two crowns that are fixed to the natural teeth adjacent to the gap where tooth loss has occurred. 

This setup provides support to the pontics and prevents unwanted changes in facial structure that can occur when teeth are missing.

What Are Dental Bridges Made of?

There are various kinds of dental bridges, and they can be made from many different materials, including metal alloys, gold, porcelain, and ceramic. Bridges can also be made from a combination of these materials. The style best suited for you will depend on your particular oral health situation, your personal preference, and your budget.  

The Different Parts of a Dental Bridge

The dental bridge is a fairly simple dental prosthesis. It consists of two parts: the anchor crowns and the pontic or pontics. To give you a better idea of how this smile-saving tooth restoration works, let’s take a closer look at these components.

Anchor Crowns

The anchor crowns give your dental bridge its support. They consist of two natural-looking tooth caps located on either end of the dental bridge. The anchor crowns are placed over the existing teeth on either side of the toothless gap so that the artificial teeth in between have almost as much bite power as your natural teeth once did.

Pontic

The pontic is the artificial tooth that sits between the two anchor crowns. Pontics are designed to look and feel just like a natural tooth. Depending on the situation, more than one pontic can be included in a dental bridge in order to replace multiple missing teeth that are next to one another.

Why Would You Need a Dental Bridge?

Dental bridges can be life-changing for those in need of them. But how do you know when you’re one of those people? Below are some of the clearest indications that a dental bridge might be a good fit for you.

You’re Missing One or More Consecutive Teeth

The primary purpose of a dental bridge is to replace missing teeth. There are a number of issues that can come from living with a major gap between your teeth, and they’re not all related to self-esteem. 

The structure of your face can actually shift if you’ve had missing teeth for a prolonged period, and you’re also more susceptible to infection and gum disease when teeth are missing from your mouth. A dental bridge is one of the easiest and most effective ways to remedy that.

You Have Teeth That Are Significantly Damaged or Decayed

A tooth doesn’t have to be missing entirely for you to qualify for a dental bridge. Sometimes the damage or decay is so advanced that your best, or perhaps only option is to extract the tooth and replace it using a dental bridge. 

Not only will this help relieve the pain you’ve been experiencing with your damaged or decayed tooth, but it will also restore function to that part of your mouth, and it will bring the symmetry back to your smile.

You Have a Considerable Amount of Tooth Wear

Tooth grinding can result in teeth that are worn down to the point where they’re hardly functioning any longer. This isn’t as common as the other issues where a dental bridge may prove useful, but when it does happen, a dental bridge can often be the best course of action to restore form and function to your mouth.

You’re Looking to Restore Your Smile

Sometimes the biggest draw of the dental bridge is that it can give you your smile back. This reason shouldn’t be underestimated, as few things are more damaging to one’s self-confidence than dental issues. If you’ve got missing, damaged, or decayed teeth that are killing your self-esteem, then you may be a great candidate for a dental bridge.

The Advantages of Receiving a Dental Bridge

Now that you’ve determined that you’re a good candidate for a dental bridge, you may be wondering what you stand to gain from receiving such a restoration. It goes well beyond fixing your smile and making you feel a little more confident in yourself. 

Dental bridges can help your appearance, your oral health, and even your overall health in various ways. The most significant among them are listed below.

Preventing Facial Collapse with Dental Bridges

Your teeth actually stimulate bone growth in your jaw. When those teeth are missing, growth is not stimulated, and bone loss can occur. When bone loss occurs, the structure of your face can become affected by it. 

This is what’s known as “facial collapse,” and it can make you look significantly older than you are. A dental bridge is one of the easiest ways to prevent this issue and ensure your jawbones stay healthy.

Restore the Function of Your Teeth with Dental Bridges

When you’ve got missing teeth, you likely can’t chew properly on that side of your mouth. Not only that, but your teeth play a significant role in proper pronunciation, and so your speech may be affected as well. 

A dental bridge can allow you to chew and speak like you did before you lost your teeth.

Prevent Tooth Shifting with Dental Bridges

Another issue that can arise from missing teeth is the shifting of the remaining teeth. This can result in problems with your bite as well as aesthetic issues. Replacing your missing teeth with a dental bridge will keep your natural teeth firmly in place.

Reduce The Risk of Gum Disease with Dental Bridges

Missing teeth can be a catalyst for gum disease, which is an infection of the gum tissue that can lead to various problems with both your oral and your overall health. Those problems might include loose teeth, gum recession, tooth loss, and more.

Get Your Smile Back with Dental Bridges

A brand new, natural-looking dental bridge can give you the healthy smile you lost when you lost your teeth. While the health issues that dental bridges can help prevent may be of greater importance, the renewed sense of self-confidence that can come from this simple dental restoration just might change your life. Contact us today to arrange your free consultation. We offer mini dental bridges for patients in Scottsdale, Mesa, Tempe, Phoenix, and throughout the State of Arizona.