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One missing tooth might not seem like a major concern, but the space it leaves behind can affect more than the appearance of your smile. Missing teeth can make chewing more difficult, affect speech, and allow neighboring teeth to gradually shift into the open space.
At Parkway Family Dental, Dr. Jacob Wood offers custom dental bridges in Kalispell MT to replace missing teeth and restore the appearance and function of your smile. Each bridge is carefully designed around your individual needs to provide a comfortable, natural-looking result.
What Are Dental Bridges?
A dental bridge is a fixed restoration used to replace one or more missing teeth. As the name suggests, the restoration “bridges” the space between your remaining teeth.
A traditional dental bridge consists of one or more artificial teeth, called pontics, supported by dental crowns placed over the natural teeth on either side of the gap. Once securely placed, the bridge remains in your mouth rather than being removed for daily cleaning like a removable partial denture.
Depending on your oral health and the number and location of your missing teeth, other bridge designs may also be considered. Dr. Wood will evaluate your smile and recommend the tooth replacement option that best fits your needs.
Benefits of Dental Bridges in Kalispell MT
Replacing a missing tooth can improve both the appearance of your smile and the way your teeth function together. Depending on your individual situation, a dental bridge can help:
- Restore your smile: Fill the visible space left by one or more missing teeth.
- Improve chewing: Restore function in areas where teeth have been lost.
- Support clear speech: Replace teeth that play a role in forming certain sounds.
- Maintain tooth position: Help prevent neighboring teeth from shifting toward an open space.
- Restore your bite: Help distribute biting and chewing forces more appropriately.
- Provide a fixed solution: Remain securely in place without needing to be removed each day.
Your bridge is customized to fit your mouth and designed to complement the surrounding teeth for a natural appearance.
Dental Bridges vs. Dental Implants
Dental bridges and dental implants can both provide effective solutions for replacing missing teeth, but they work in different ways.
A traditional bridge relies on neighboring teeth for support. Those teeth are prepared for crowns, which hold the replacement tooth securely between them.
A dental implant replaces the missing tooth root with an implant placed in the jawbone. A custom restoration is then attached to the implant. Because the implant provides its own support, neighboring teeth generally do not need to be prepared to support the replacement tooth.
The right option depends on several factors, including the condition of your neighboring teeth, bone health, location of the missing tooth, treatment goals, and personal preferences.
Parkway Family Dental offers both dental bridges and dental implant placement and restoration, allowing Dr. Wood to discuss your options and help you determine which approach makes the most sense for your smile.
What to Expect When Getting a Dental Bridge
The process of receiving a traditional dental bridge generally takes place over multiple steps.
Preparing Your Teeth
Dr. Wood will first examine your teeth and determine whether a bridge is appropriate for your needs. For a traditional bridge, the teeth next to the missing space are carefully prepared to support dental crowns.
Impressions or digital scans are then taken to create a bridge customized to your bite and smile. Depending on how your final restoration is made, a temporary bridge may be placed to protect the prepared teeth while your permanent bridge is being created.
Placing Your Dental Bridge
Once your custom bridge is ready, Dr. Wood will check its fit, appearance, and how it works with your bite. Any necessary adjustments can be made before the bridge is securely bonded into place.
Our team will also show you how to properly clean around and underneath your new bridge.
Caring for Your Dental Bridge
Good oral hygiene is important for helping your dental bridge and the supporting teeth remain healthy. While the replacement tooth itself cannot develop a cavity, the natural teeth supporting a traditional bridge can still experience decay or gum disease.
Daily brushing should be combined with cleaning underneath the bridge using floss threaders, interdental brushes, or other tools recommended by our dental team. Regular dental cleanings and exams also give us an opportunity to evaluate your bridge and the health of the teeth and gums supporting it.
With good oral hygiene, regular dental care, and appropriate maintenance, a dental bridge can provide years of comfortable function.
Restore Your Smile With a Custom Dental Bridge
You don’t have to live with the challenges created by a missing tooth. At Parkway Family Dental, Dr. Jacob Wood and our team will evaluate your smile, discuss your tooth replacement options, and create a treatment plan based on your individual needs.
Whether a traditional bridge, dental implant, or partial denture is the best solution, our goal is to help you restore comfortable function and feel confident about your smile.
Contact Parkway Family Dental to schedule a consultation and learn more about dental bridges in Kalispell MT.