Missing teeth can change the appearance and function of your smile. When you have a gap caused by one or more adjacent missing teeth, it can affect your speech, appearance, oral health and self-confidence. One of the cosmetic dentistry options for filling the gap in your smile is a dental bridge, which uses prosthetic teeth connected to anchors within your smile. At Southern Oaks Family Dental Care, we offer dental bridges to restore smiles at our dental center in Baton Rouge, LA.
The traditional dental bridge is connected to existing teeth on either side of your missing tooth or teeth. The adjacent teeth act as anchors for the bridge, which contains prosthetic teeth to replace the missing ones. Imagine a row of 3-4 teeth restorations to fit over the two existing teeth and fill in the gap in between. To accomplish this, the conventional dental bridge requires dental crowns for the anchoring teeth.
Restore Your Complete Smile
With dental bridges, you can enjoy a full, complete smile again. First, impressions will be taken of your teeth to determine the right shape and size for the prosthetic teeth in the bridge and the dental crowns for the anchor teeth. The existing teeth involved in the bridge will need to be resized to accommodate the dental crowns that will hold the prosthetic teeth in place. Once the anchor teeth are reshaped and impressions are made, the mold is sent to the dental lab.
When the dental bridge is finished, the two crowns on each end of the bridge are bonded to the adjacent teeth. The bridge is made to be color-matched to the rest of your teeth, achieving a natural, beautiful appearance for your new smile. There are also other options for building a dental bridge, including using dental implants instead of attaching the bridge to existing teeth.
If you have gaps in your smile due to lost teeth, come see us at Southern Oaks Family Dental Care. We have a wide selection of dental options to restore your complete smile, including dental bridges. Contact our office in Baton Rouge, LA, to schedule your tooth restoration consultation today.
