Dental Bridges – Arvada, CO
Beautifully Bridge Two Teeth
Even missing a single tooth can put a big damper on the quality of your smile. If you’re in Arvada, CO and you want to beautifully bridge two teeth that have been separated by a missing tooth, a dental bridge from the team here at West Arvada Family Dental could seriously improve the quality of your smile.
A dental bridge can be a gamechanger if you have a gap in your smile, so give us a call today and we’ll talk about how they can help you.
Why Choose West Arvada Family Dental for Dental Bridges?
- High-quality Restorations Made of Excellent Materials
- Accepts A Variety of Dental Insurance Plans
- Dedicated Dental Team Who Will Attend to Your Needs
What is a Dental Bridge?
If you’ve ever seen a dental crown, those small ceramic caps that go over damaged teeth, bridges are similar. Dental bridges are two dental crowns with one or more prosthetic teeth sandwiched in between. This allows you to replace a tooth that has been lost, using the existing natural teeth for support.
Dental bridges can be made of anything that a dental crown can, ranging from metal to ceramic. That said, ceramic is the norm given the fact that it looks like teeth.
Types of Dental Bridges
There are two kinds of dental bridges: traditional and implant. Which one is best for you comes down to both your unique needs and your personal preference. We’ll talk to you more about which way you should go at a consultation, but until then, here’s what you should know about the two.
Traditional Dental Bridges
Traditional dental bridges are the ones described above; they are attached to the natural teeth and use them as support for the prosthetics in between. This makes them quick and easy to apply, while still providing remarkable stability.
Implant Bridges
Implant bridges are a bit different. Instead of attaching the bridge to the teeth, they’re instead adhered to metal posts that are surgically implanted into the jaw. This provides them with a little bit more durability than in the case of regular bridges. It also means that you won’t have to do anything to your healthy teeth, which is a plus for some people.
The Benefits of Getting a Dental Bridge
When you’re missing a tooth, that can obviously put a damper on your confidence. However, there are also a fair number of serious health problems that could come about if you leave a gap in your smile.
For one, might have problems eating that could negatively impact your overall nutrition. There are also risks that other teeth could rush to fill the gap left by the hole in your smile, leading to misaligned teeth.
Dental bridges could help you with any of these problems, so if you’re missing a tooth, give us a call today!
Dental Bridges FAQs
Can You Take a Dental Bridge Out?
To be honest, no – you can’t take a dental bridge out of your mouth. Only a qualified professional like your dentist in Arvada has that ability.
You see, dental bridges are designed to be highly secure. Each should stay in your mouth for years, ensuring your smile remains full and pretty. It would defeat the point of treatment if you could easily remove them.
You’re actually in trouble when you can easily remove your dental bridge. In that case, the adjacent teeth (i.e., abutments) holding them in place are likely decayed. That means your treatment is at risk, so you need to see your dental provider for help.
How Long Should a Dental Bridge Last?
The average dental bridge lasts anywhere from five to 15 years. That said, how long your own bridge works will depend on various factors.
For example, your dental bridge’s material could impact its lifespan. The device could last a bit longer if it’s made from sturdy metal, while it may fail earlier if it uses ceramic. Still, this difference tends to be negligible in most cases.
Similarly, your lifestyle can also affect how long your bridge lasts. Whether you stick to a mouth-healthy diet and good oral hygiene will affect your treatment’s longevity. If you indulge in bad oral habits like smoking, nail-biting, and teeth-grinding, your bridge isn’t likely to last long.
Is a Partial Denture the Same as a Bridge?
No – a partial denture is not the same thing as a dental bridge. While some people call the former a “removable bridge,” it’s a different device altogether.
Remember that a dental bridge should stay in place for many years. Given its design, you can only trust a dentist to safely remove it without causing oral issues. Dentures don’t have this sort of permanence, as you can take them out of your mouth when necessary.
At the same time, a dental bridge can only replace missing teeth if they’re consecutive. It relies on adjacent areas – abutments – to restore fairly large smile gaps. However, a partial denture can only “bring back” several teeth at various points along an arch.
Can Dental Bridges Be Whitened?
Sadly, dental bridges can’t be whitened like natural teeth can. Their features don’t allow them to have their color altered through dental work.
You see, it comes down to how teeth whitening works. The treatment’s bleaching gel enters tooth enamel through tiny pores to break apart stains, making your smile much brighter. A dental bridge lacks such pores, so whiteners can’t affect its color.
It’s possible to “work around” this issue with dental bridges, though. You could always have your teeth whitened before your dental bridge is placed. By doing so, your final bridge would match the ideal shade of your smile.
- Tooth enamel has tiny pores through which bleaching gels can enter and break apart stains, but dental restorations like bridges do not. Therefore, your bridge should always remain the same color.
- Metal-free bridges are designed to blend in with your remaining teeth as closely as possible.
- To minimize the risk of your natural teeth becoming discolored and making your bridge stand out in your smile, consider asking your dentist about getting teeth whitening before your bridge is placed. That way, your bridge will be matched to the ideal shade of your teeth.