Posted .

Beyond simply restoring a bright smile, there are a number of other advantages that dental bridges offer. They hide the holes that missing teeth make in your mouth, keep the remaining teeth from drifting, make chewing properly possible, and restore an unaligned bite.

As the name hints, dental bridges do just that. They literally span the gap between missing teeth using two anchoring teeth as support for the false teeth. The teeth that act as supports for denture are called abutment teeth. Pontics are the name given to the false teeth that bridge the gap. They are made from several materials like gold, porcelain, alloys, or a combination. Dental bridges can be anchored to dental implants, or to living, natural teeth that are deemed strong enough supports.

When you receive a dental bridge inserted, your initial visit will be to prep the abutment teeth. This requires recontouring by taking off a small amount of enamel in order to bond a crown to be placed upon them. Next, a mold is made of your teeth and sent to the lab where the crowns, pontic and bridge will be created. Normally, a temporary bridge will be worn to shield the teeth that have been recontoured until your permanent bridge is completed and fitted.

Your secondary visit will replace the temporary bridge with the permanent one. It may take several visits to continue to adjust the fit of the metal framework properly, but once it is considered settled into place the dentist will cement it permanently.

If you have missing teeth requiring a dental bridge Dr. William Wilson will be happy to help you. Please contact Chicago Osteopathic Hospital Dental Clinic PC to make an appointment at: 773-947-4665, or come by our office in Chicago, Illinois.