When the problem is missing teeth, your dentist in Winchester, KY, should provide several solutions. This is because everyone has a one-of-a-kind smile and unique oral health care needs.
At Central Kentucky Dental, we can help you decide the ideal way to replace missing teeth, and one of those options is dental bridges. This tooth restoration is for specific tooth loss patterns, which are unsuitable for everyone. Here’s what you need to know.
When We Will Offer a Dental Bridge
Dr. Peavler and his team will offer a dental bridge under the following circumstances:
- You have between one and four missing teeth
- Your missing teeth are in a row
- Your teeth on either side of the missing set are healthy
If you meet these criteria, we can create a dental bridge that restores your smile and chewing ability.
Reasons to Replace Missing Teeth
You can visualize a functioning set of teeth like a chain; they work best as a team. So when one link in the chain goes missing, it complicates how things work. When considering teeth, a gap in your smile invites the adjoining teeth to shift as chewing pressure pushes them toward the opening.
If you don’t fill this gap, sooner or later, your teeth will become misaligned, which can lead to numerous problems, like:
- Problems chewing
- Crooked bite
- Misaligned bite and teeth stress jaw joints
- Jaw joint dysfunction can lead to headaches and sleep disorders
How a Dental Bridge Works
A dental bridge is typically fixed in your mouth and consists of one or more artificial teeth, called pontics, on an optional framework. This appliance is bonded to the teeth on either side, called anchor teeth. We often reinforce these teeth with dental crowns for added security.
In your natural tooth on one side or the other isn’t stable enough, you can seek a cantilever bridge that anchors on only one side. Dental implants may also support dental bridges for added stability and the most natural-like functionality available today.
Dental Bridges in Winchester, KY
The team at Central Kentucky Dental is ready to help you solve the problems that grow from missing teeth over time. To learn if a dental bridge might work for you, we recommend that you contact our dental office in Winchester to schedule a consultation today.