Are You a Good Candidate For Dental Bridges?

Nov 01, 2022

Losing teeth causes more harm than just affecting your beautiful smile and self-confidence. Teeth gaps can also make it difficult to eat certain foods and speak clearly. Even worse, missing teeth lead to jawbone deterioration and shifting crookedly of the adjacent teeth.

Fortunately, you can benefit from several tooth replacement treatments to restore your beautiful smile, bite function, and oral health. A dental bridge is an ideal option if you’ve lost one or several teeth close to each other.

What are Dental Bridges?

As the name suggests, a tooth bridge bridges the empty gaps between healthy teeth. A bridge consists of one or more artificial teeth customized to feel and look like natural teeth. The artificial teeth can be supported by a dental implant, crowns, or frameworks attached to nearby healthy teeth.

You can consult our dentist about dental bridges in Sugar Land, TX, if you’ve lost teeth. The dentist will examine your mouth to determine whether a dental bridge is an ideal solution for your missing teeth.

Are You A Good Candidate?

While a dental bridge is an ideal option to restore your bite and oral health, they aren’t suitable for all patients. Below are key factors a dentist can use to establish your candidacy for treatment:

You’re missing a tooth.

A dental bridge is a cost-effective alternative to dental implants if you’re just missing a single tooth. A traditional bridge is the most common way to replace a single missing tooth. The bridge consists of an artificial tooth supported by dental crowns placed on healthy adjacent teeth.

You’re missing multiple consecutive teeth.

If you’ve lost several consecutive teeth, a dental bridge is a cost-effective option to restore your oral health. A single bridge can replace up to 4 consecutive missing teeth. The dentist can recommend a better solution if the teeth aren’t consecutive.

You have strong and healthy natural teeth.

If you’re getting a traditional or cantilever bridge, you must have healthy natural teeth on either or both sides of the gap. The dentist uses these teeth to support the bridge.

Weak, decayed, or broken teeth may not provide adequate support for the bridge and might even cause it to fail. The dentist can recommend an implant-supported bridge or denture if you don’t have healthy teeth near the missing teeth.

You have adequate jawbone density.

Good jawbone health is essential to support your natural teeth adequately. Strong and stable teeth are necessary to hold the bridge in position.

If you’re getting an implant-supported bridge, enough jawbone density is essential to support the implant. The insufficient jawbone can cause the implant bridge to fail.

You have good oral health.

Oral concerns such as tooth decay and gum disease can affect your bridge’s comfort, fit, and appearance. They can also cause further complications like jawbone loss and receding gums which can cause the bridge to fail. Therefore, treating oral problems is essential before getting a dental bridge near you.

You have reasonably good general health.

While having health conditions won’t entirely disqualify you from getting a dental bridge, you should note that they can be problematic. Since getting a bridge can require tooth trimming or implant surgery, the patient needs to be in good health.

Notify your dentist if you have health conditions like diabetes and heart disease. The dentist will work with you and your doctor to determine how you can get your bridge safely. If you don’t qualify, they can suggest other alternatives like dentures.

You’re committed to excellent oral hygiene.

While a dental bridge contains artificial materials that won’t decay, the supporting teeth, gums, and jawbone are still vulnerable to oral problems. For instance, poor dental hygiene can cause a build-up of bacterial plaque around the bridge, causing decay and gum disease in the supporting teeth and gums. Eventually, you may lose your teeth and bridge.

Practicing excellent oral hygiene and habits is essential to prevent oral problems near the bridge, which can cause serious complications.

Fortunately, you don’t need any special oral hygiene products or techniques. Just maintain an excellent oral hygiene routine, and you’ll be all good. It can include:

Brushing gently but thoroughly at least twice daily
Flossing daily. Remember to floss under the bridge
Using fluoride toothpaste and mouthwash
Scheduling routine dental check-ups and cleanings

Schedule an Appointment Today

Are you interested in dental bridges or general dentistry near you? Contact Bella Smiles Cosmetic and Family Dentistry to begin your treatment today.