A dental bridge is one of the many prosthetic devices dentists use to improve oral health. If you’re dealing with mouth pain or missing teeth, bridgework offers you a lot of advantages by literally bridging gaps in your teeth.
At his practice in Walnut Creek, California, Dr. William M. Schneider is an expert in general and cosmetic dentistry who uses bridges as an effective way of getting rid of gaps in your smile. He helps men and women find practical and permanent solutions to missing or painful teeth. A bridge might be a great idea if you’re experiencing pain or tooth loss.
Advantages of bridges
A bridge is a convenient and effective restorative dental device that does exactly what its name suggests: It bridges a gap in your smile by using an artificial tooth and attaching it to your adjacent teeth. There are many advantages to bridging the gap with replacement teeth.
Prevent disease
Gum disease is a concern when gaps are left untreated in the mouth. Your body naturally attempts to fill in the gaps in your mouth by moving teeth closer to one another. When this happens, your teeth become crooked. Misaligned teeth are harder to clean. They make it difficult to thoroughly floss, leaving pockets of bacteria that can cause infected and inflamed gums. This can lead to gum disease and other, more severe problems. By filling in gaps with a bridge, your teeth remain where they should.
Preserve face shape
Filling in a tooth gap with a bridge is important to preserve your facial shape. When your remaining teeth try to push together to fill in the gap, it also changes the shape of your face. Your tooth root is responsible for stimulating the cells in your jawbone. When a tooth goes missing, and an empty space remains, your jawbone deteriorates. This leads to facial changes and the possible loss of more teeth.
Improve chewing and talking
Gaps in your mouth make it hard to enjoy the foods you love. Maybe it’s too painful to chew. This issue can be solved with a bridge to fill in the gap. A bridge can permanently relieve your pain and make it possible for you to eat without issue. Plus, if you’re having trouble talking, a bridge can fix that for you and rebuild lost confidence in your smile.
Replace dentures
Dentures don’t look or feel as natural as a bridge, which is a more durable solution to missing teeth. Dentures can cause trouble chewing or talking by sliding in and out of place. You won’t have to mess with sticky denture cream ever again with a dental bridge.
Save money
Finally, dental bridges not only save you pain and embarrassment, but they also save you money. Leaving a gap in your mouth can cause more discomfort and lead to serious issues. Instead of making dozens of trips to the dentist, we can help you create one treatment plan to get a dental bridge implanted.
Are you ready to start dental bridgework? Dr. Schneider is available to help. To make an appointment for an initial consultation, call us today at 925-935-2700 or use our convenient online scheduling tool.