Bridge the Gap with a Dental Bridge in Marietta, GA

If your smile is missing one or more teeth, then that gap may be doing more than making you self-conscious and even embarrassed. You may not even realize it, but just one missing tooth can negatively impact your diet and nutrition. Your body needs a complete and balanced diet for you to enjoy optimal health. In addition, missing teeth can make speaking more difficult, which can be a challenge in social and professional circumstances. To replace your missing teeth, Dr. Merriman may recommend a crown and bridge, a lifelike oral prosthetic that literally bridges the gap in your smile.

As we go through life, tooth loss can happen for a number of different reasons, including:

• Untreated decay that requires a tooth extraction
• Traumatic injury that avulses, or knocks out, a tooth
• Untreated gum disease, or periodontitis, the leading cause of missing teeth among American adults
• A tooth that is missing because of congenital reasons

The Marietta Dentist and Your Dental Bridge

As the name suggests, a dental bridge actually bridges the gap in your smile that missing teeth leave behind. A bridge is actually comprised of two distinct parts: the crowns that are mounted on to healthy teeth (called abutment teeth) next to the gap in your smile and the false teeth, or pontics, that replace your missing teeth. The crowns support and hold the false teeth in place to create an appearance that is natural and pleasing

To place a dental crown, Marietta dentist Dr. Merriman must reduce the size of your tooth, so the crown will fit seamlessly alongside your other teeth and not interfere with your opposing teeth when you bite and chew.

After Dr. Merriman has prepared the abutment teeth, a dental assistant will take impressions of your teeth, so our dental lab can fabricate your dental crown and bridge. We’ll also use this impression to make a temporary bridge for you to wear until your permanent bridge is ready.

After about two weeks, you’ll return to your Marietta dentist. Dr. Merriman will check the color and fit of your crown and bridge. Then, the temporary is removed and the permanent one is cemented into place. For the most part, you’ll take care of your crown and bridge just as you do your other teeth; brush at least twice a day and floss once a day. To floss between the bridge and your underlying gum tissue, we’ll give you a special threader, so you’ll be able to keep that area free of food particles, debris and plaque.

Posted on behalf of Envision Dental