Dental Bridges for the Front Teeth
Missing front teeth can lead to cosmetic flaws as well as issues with your general dental health. Thankfully San Antonio, TX dentists Dr. Joseph Perry and Dr. Thomas Shields can help by crafting custom dental bridges. These appliances can replace a missing tooth and restore the beauty and full function of your smile in the process.
The team at River City Dental Solutions would like to take a moment to consider how a dental bridge works for replacing the front teeth and why it may be the ideal option for your needs.
Problems Caused by Missing Front Teeth
In terms of the aesthetics of your smile, a missing front tooth can leave you feeling extremely self-conscious. You may feel awkward about laughing, smiling, and speaking, even around people you have known for years.
As far as your general dental health, you may experience difficulty biting and chewing. Your diet could be seriously limited given the inability to have hard or crunchy foods. The loss of front teeth could also result in malocclusion that leads to a risk of teeth grinding (bruxism), which can cause damage to your remaining teeth.
How Dental Bridges Work
A dental bridge is a false tooth that is bookended by dental crowns. These crowns are used to cap the teeth that are adjacent to the tooth gap, holding the false tooth in place.
Dental bridges for the front teeth tend to be made of tooth-colored materials in other to blend in seamlessly with the rest of a person’s smile. They are durable yet aesthetically similar to natural teeth, addressing the cosmetic issues associated with tooth loss as well as the health problems associated with missing teeth.
Good Candidates for a Front Tooth Bridge
Good candidates for front tooth bridges are people who are missing a front tooth and have healthy teeth around the tooth gap. During your visit to our San Antonio dental care center, we can assess the health of your remaining teeth and overall suitability for getting a dental bridge placed.
The Dental Bridge Procedure
When placing a dental bridge, the first step is to prep the teeth that surround the gap. That means the removal of some tooth structure in order to accommodate the crowns. An impression is then taken of the two prepped teeth so the custom crowns can be crafted. The false tooth will be created using dental records as well as assessing your current dental health needs.
Dental Bridge Aftercare
Caring for a dental bridge is simple. Patients should brush and floss as they normally would to maintain good dental health for their teeth and gums. Use a soft-bristled toothbrush with a small head, and consider a non-abrasive gel toothpaste for cleaning your teeth.
To clean thoroughly around the bridge itself, it’s important to consider the use of superfloss, which is thicker floss that gets at the harder-to-reach areas around the appliance. A proxybrush can also be very helpful for cleaning around the bridge and crowns.
Contact River City Dental Solutions
To learn more about dental bridges and why they may be right for you and your needs, be sure to contact our skilled team of cosmetic and restorative dentists. You can reach us in San Antonio by phone at (210) 405-5119.