San Diego Dental Bridges Near You
Bridges are multi-tooth restorations that are used to replace missing teeth. A bridge can replace anywhere from 1-4 teeth, depending on whether it’s a traditional bridge or one set onto a pair of dental implants.
Why Replace a Missing Tooth?
Losing or extracting a tooth may not seem concerning. Especially if it isn’t visible when you smile. But the space it creates allows your adjacent teeth to drift out of alignment. This chain reaction can impact your entire smile, leading to a host of complications.
Placing a bridge will help you maintain healthy tooth alignment and avoid shifting in your overall bite. In turn, replacing your tooth will help you avoid TMJ issues, irregular wear patterns, and chipped teeth.
Traditional Dental Bridges
Conventional bridges replace 1-2 teeth and are anchored onto a pair of neighboring teeth. Either end of the bridge functions as a “crown” over the supporting tooth, allowing it to provide added reinforcement for teeth that are already heavily restored. If you’re replacing more than two teeth, it’s best to consider an implant-supported design because of the length of the restoration involved.
Implant-Supported Bridges
In the instance of 3-4 missing teeth, we recommend implant-supported bridges. These restorations use a pair of implants—one on either side of the gap—to support a fixed bridge on top of them. This design eliminates the need for something removable, such as a partial denture.
Caring for Your New Bridge
It’s important to clean your bridge properly each day, to protect the implants or teeth supporting it. In addition to brushing, we highly encourage our patients to invest in a water flosser, which makes it simple to clean under the bridge and against the supporting teeth/implants.
Custom Bridges in Carmel Valley, San Diego
Need to replace a missing tooth? Visit Torrey Hills Dental today to request an appointment.