Restoring Your Natural Smile
Experience Dental - What are different types of bridges?
Experience Dental - Dental Bridges FAQs
Experience Dental - How should I care for my dental bridge?
A dental bridge offers a restorative solution that enhances both your appearance and oral health by seamlessly filling gaps with a synthetic tooth supported by dental implants, your natural teeth, or a combination of both. Known as a “fixed partial denture,” these bridges are securely affixed to your teeth through bonding or cementing, eliminating the need for nightly removal or specialized cleaning routines. Addressing tooth gaps is crucial not only for improving aesthetics but also for maintaining long-term oral health. Missing teeth can lead to challenges with speech and chewing, and gaps may cause neighboring teeth to shift out of alignment.
Long-Term Advantages of Bridges
The loss of a single tooth or multiple teeth can lead to significant discomfort and self-consciousness. Choosing a dental bridge allows you to restore a natural-looking and functional smile while reaping long-term benefits that support the health of your remaining teeth and the overall bone structure of your mouth. Let’s delve into the key advantages of dental bridges.
Comfort
The benefits of dental bridges are immediately noticeable, improving your current quality of life. They restore a natural appearance and feel, helping you regain the confidence to smile, speak, and eat with ease. Missing teeth can cause discomfort and challenges during speech or meals, but dental bridges provide a dependable solution to alleviate these issues. With proper care, bridges can offer lasting comfort and relief for over a decade.
Health Of Your Teeth
Your teeth are vital for supporting one another and preserving the alignment of your bite and facial structure. Tooth loss can lead to neighboring teeth shifting out of place, increasing the risk of decay, gum disease, jaw pain, and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders. A dental bridge helps prevent these issues by stabilizing your teeth, maintaining alignment, and reducing the likelihood of oral health complications.
Bone Health
Good dental health extends beyond your teeth, contributing to the strength and stability of your jawbones. When teeth are lost, the supporting bone and tissues can begin to deteriorate. Dental bridges help stabilize your dental health and slow the progression of bone loss caused by missing teeth, promoting better overall oral and jawbone health.
The Costs Associated With Dental Bridges in Thornton
The expense of a dental bridge can differ greatly depending on your specific situation. For individuals with standard insurance coverage, the average price typically ranges from $800 to $1,200 or higher. For those without insurance, the estimated cost is generally around $2,000 to $3,000 or more.
The total cost of a dental bridge is influenced by various factors, such as:
- The type of bridge and the materials used in its creation
- The number of teeth being replaced
- The complexity and location of the procedure
- The condition of the adjacent teeth
- The tools and supplies needed for your treatment
It’s essential to understand that an exact estimate cannot be given over the phone by any dental office. Since each patient’s dental needs are unique, a precise cost can only be determined through an in-person consultation with a dentist, including an oral examination and a discussion of all available treatment options. If you have dental insurance, we are happy to provide a detailed quote for submission to your insurance provider, allowing you to assess your out-of-pocket expenses before making a decision.
Contact us today
to schedule an initial consultation & exam.
Your consultation will include an examination of everything from your teeth, gums and soft tissues to the shape and condition of your bite. Generally, we want to see how your whole mouth looks and functions. Before we plan your treatment we want to know everything about the health and aesthetic of your smile, and, most importantly, what you want to achieve so we can help you get there.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, dental bridges come in various forms, including permanent and semi-permanent options. Often referred to as fixed partial dentures, bridges are considered semi-permanent because they are bonded to natural teeth or implants. A simple way to differentiate between a bridge (which remains fixed in place) and a denture (which can be removed) is by their structure: bridges are made up only of teeth, while dentures include both pink gums and teeth.
Cantilever bridges are used when there are no teeth adjacent to both sides of the gap created by missing teeth. However, they are less commonly used today and are generally not recommended for the back of the mouth. This is because the excessive force they can place on nearby teeth may lead to damage. If you have missing teeth in the posterior region, alternative treatments are available to address the issue.
The procedure typically requires about one hour, spread over two appointments.
Dental bridges can be made from a variety of materials, such as gold alloys, non-precious alloys, porcelain, or a combination of these. At our practice, we primarily use porcelain for dental bridge procedures.
Although dental crowns and bridges are sometimes confused, they serve different purposes. Dental crowns are caps placed over damaged, fractured, or worn teeth to restore strength and protect against decay. In contrast, dental bridges are designed to replace one or more missing teeth by filling the gap and connecting the surrounding teeth.
Yes, zirconia is a popular material used in creating dental bridges. If you would like more information about the materials available and recommendations tailored to your needs, feel free to reach out. We’re happy to provide detailed guidance.
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