Reliable and Natural-Looking Dental Bridges in Tuckahoe, NY
Let our dental care experts fill in the space left by a lost tooth with custom-made dental bridges in Tuckahoe, NY.
Not only does losing a tooth hurt your confidence in your smile, but it also creates concerns for your oral health. At Metro Dental, Dr. Joshua Davis provides effective and aesthetically pleasing dental solutions for patients of all ages in Tuckahoe, NY, including dental bridges to fill the space left by a lost tooth. We work to restore your naturally beautiful smile with custom replacements fabricated in a dental lab to mimic the appearance of your natural teeth.
What Are Dental Bridges?
Dental bridges are versatile installations that fill in the space left by one or more missing teeth with spacer teeth, also known as pontics. This replacement is typically attached to crowns on either side called abutments that your dentist attaches to adjacent teeth to keep the bridge in place.
Our office can install several types of bridges depending on your dental health needs, including:
- Traditional fixed bridge: This option holds a prosthetic tooth in place with crowns placed on natural teeth surrounding the gap.
- Cantilever bridge: These bridges only use a single abutment crown to stay in place. They preserve more of your natural tooth structure as a result but are unsuitable for molars that experience more bite pressure.
- Maryland bridge: Rather than use crowns, a Maryland bridge bonds its framework to the back of surrounding teeth to secure the replacement tooth. Maryland bridges typically involve minimal tooth alterations as a result.
- Implant bridge: Implants require additional surgery and take longer to install, but the resulting bridge is comfortable and looks natural. This type of bridge is best for patients missing several teeth in a row.
We create all of our bridges with high-quality porcelain for a finished product that is durable and closely resembles your natural teeth.
Deciding Whether a Dental Bridge is Right for You
Dental bridges are the recommended dental care option for patients missing a single tooth or multiple teeth in a row. These personalized prosthetics are effective at treating both cosmetic and health concerns associated with missing teeth.
If you are missing a tooth, teeth that shift to fill the new space can cause a variety of health problems. Misaligned teeth often cause patients to suffer biting problems, TMJ issues, and difficulty cleaning their teeth and gums. The empty spot in your mouth also makes you more susceptible to gum diseases.
In addition to promoting better oral health, dental bridges offer a variety of cosmetic and comfort-related benefits. The placement procedure will restore the natural beauty of your smile and improve the shape of your face by preventing sunken cheeks. Bridges also remove speaking difficulties that accompany missing teeth.
However, patients whose teeth on either side of the missing tooth suffer from structural damage or decay may need to consider other options. Dental bridges usually require support from surrounding teeth, so alternatives such as dentures and root canal treatment could be more suitable choices. Dr. Davis will discuss all of these options and help you find the treatment that works best during your initial consultation.
Placing Your New Dental Implants
When you decide to replace your missing tooth with a dental bridge, the procedure only requires a few appointments and can take as little as two to three weeks to complete. We begin by taking pictures and imprints that we send to a professional dental lab to create your custom prosthetic. This allows us to accurately match the color, shape, and size of your remaining teeth for results that look natural.
During this first visit, we also prepare the surrounding teeth to receive the abutments. We apply local anesthesia and modify the shape and surface of these teeth to provide suitable anchors for your dental bridge. To protect these teeth until your permanent solution is ready, we also give you a temporary bridge.
When the lab completes your custom dental bridge, we schedule a second appointment. We remove the temporary cover and fit your new bridge to your teeth so that we can make any final adjustments to ensure that it is comfortable and functional. Finally, we cement the abutments over your surrounding teeth to complete your treatment. By following our special care instructions, you can enjoy your dental bridge for up to 20 years.
Our experienced team at Metro Dental is ready to help you explore your options for crowns and dental bridges in Tuckahoe, NY. Calling 914-533-4200 today to schedule a dental health evaluation at our office is the first step to restoring your natural smile.