When you have lost a tooth, we can help with a porcelain prosthetic, one that looks natural and blends with the smile. With a dental bridge, we can restore the health, function, and beauty of your smile following minor tooth loss. In today’s blog, your Lake Orion, MI, dentist talks about our porcelain bridges.
The Causes and Possible Risks of Tooth Loss
When you lose teeth, or even if you lose a single tooth, you need a replacement to prevent major complications for your oral health and quality of life. The space left behind by missing teeth can cause nearby teeth to drift from position, creating misalignment linked to a greater risk of tooth decay and gum disease. Missing teeth also alter bite balance and leave you vulnerable to painful complications like TMJ disorder and bruxism (teeth grinding). The gap in your smile could be a source of embarrassment too, and may complicate how you eat and speak. Tooth loss itself is often caused by issues like untreated tooth decay or infection, injury to the face or jaw, or in most cases, the advanced stage of gum disease known as periodontitis.
Creating Lifelike Dental Bridges
A dental bridge can help replace between one and three missing teeth in a row. To get started, we will numb the teeth on each side of the gap, which are referred to as abutment teeth. Our team removes structure from these teeth and then we take detailed images and measurements of the gap and the prepared teeth. In a dental lab, we use the images and measurements to design and craft the custom prosthetic. The bridge will contain new teeth with crowns attached on each side. We then attach the crown portion to the abutment teeth to secure your new teeth in place. The ceramic material we craft the prosthetic from can handle daily bite forces and also be shaded to blend with your smile too!
Protecting Your New Smile
To help your new teeth stay in place for years to come, you need to brush and floss your new teeth as you would natural teeth, and also clean the space between the bottom of the prosthetic and the top of the gums. Doing so helps prevent periodontal disease and cavities that could impact the teeth supporting your bridge. You should also eat a healthy diet, avoid tobacco products, and see our team for a checkup and cleaning. If you have any questions, contact our team today!
Talk to Your Lake Orion, MI Dentist’s Office About Porcelain Prosthetics
A porcelain prosthetic can help address missing teeth and blend with the smile at the same time. To schedule an appointment for a custom dental prosthetic, call Lake Orion Family Dentistry at (248)693-6213!
