Losing your teeth may lead to embarrassment regarding your smile’s appearance, as well as poor oral health. In order to address the gaps in your smile, your Lake Orion, MI, dentist may create a custom-made and lifelike dental bridge using strong and natural-looking porcelain materials. Does your smile have one or more missing teeth? When will a bridge benefit your oral health?
Don’t Ignore Your Missing Teeth
Losing teeth isn’t just a cosmetic issue. When one or more of our natural teeth are gone, this could cause surrounding teeth to actually move from position, drifting and leading to harmful misalignment. Poor alignment alone increases the risk of tooth decay and gum disease. A missing tooth could also upset your overall bite balance and lead to a greater likelihood of TMJ disorder and bruxism (teeth grinding), causing uncomfortable symptoms and leading to the risk of damaged teeth in the process. If you have lost a tooth, let our team know right away!
Creating a Custom Bridge
The teeth on either side of the gap in your smile will act as abutment teeth. We remove structure from them and take detailed impressions and images. Using the information we gather, we will design a bridge, which consists of the pontics or new teeth, with crowns on either end. We place the crowns on the abutment teeth to anchor your pontics firmly in place. The bridge will be custom-made to ensure a proper fit and a lifelike appearance. The materials we create them with, which often include lifelike and metal-free ceramic, can absorb bite forces and blend with the smile seamlessly.
Preserving Your New Smile
With proper care and attention, your new teeth could last for 10 to 15 years! You should brush them alongside your natural teeth twice a day for two minutes. You also need to floss up and down the side of each tooth, including around the prosthetic. Be sure you clean the space between the top of the gums and the bottom of the prosthetic, where food particles could accumulate. These steps help prevent the decay and gum disease that could threaten your prosthetic and your other natural teeth. If you have any questions about creating and placing a prosthetic, or if you have one or more missing teeth, then please contact our team today to learn more.
Have You Lost a Natural Tooth?
Don’t let your smile’s health and beauty suffer as a result of minor tooth loss, talk to our team about a lifelike prosthetic. Combing lifelike materials and a custom design, we can ensure your new teeth look natural and blend with both your smile’s appearance and our overall facial structure. To schedule an appointment and discuss treatment options, call Lake Orion Family Dentistry in Lake Orion, MI, today at 248-693-6213.
