Natural-Looking and Reliable Tooth Replacement Solutions

Over 180 million Americans today are missing at least one tooth, so even if you aren’t dealing with tooth loss on your own, there’s a good chance there’s someone in your life who could benefit from a dedicated tooth replacement, such as a dental bridge in Framingham. Our dentists are experienced in helping patients rebuild their smile with lifelike, long-lasting restorations. To make your smile complete once more, call our office to set up a consultation with our team!

What is a Dental Bridge?

A dental bridge is a restoration that consists of several dental crowns fused together. While the size of the bridge can vary depending on how many teeth are missing, the crowns on either end of the restoration are hollowed out to allow them to attached to existing teeth sitting adjacent to the gap. These teeth effectively act as posts for the restoration, which means they will need to be slightly modified to hold them in place.

Types of Dental Bridges

Dental bridges help fill the gap in your smile to ensure chewing feels natural and neighboring teeth do not shift out of place. However, there are multiple options for you to choose from depending on your budget and other preferences. They include traditional bridges and implant bridges, both of which have their own unique benefits.

Traditional Dental Bridge

A traditional dental bridge is the standard option for replacing one or more consecutive teeth (typically no more than three at a time). The restorations filling the gap (or pontics) make your smile complete, while your natural teeth on either end act as anchors. Traditional bridges are generally more affordable but you will need to remove some enamel before they can be attached.

Implant Bridge

If the idea of removing enamel is not ideal for you or you simply wish to have a tooth replacement proven to last longer, an implant bridge is worth considering. This treatment skips the step of modifying teeth entirely by using dental implants fused into the jaw to hold the bridge.

The Benefits of Getting a Dental Bridge

When you don’t replace missing teeth, you’ll start to notice dramatic changes to your smile. Not only does chewing food and speaking become more difficult (especially if you’re missing back teeth), but your existing teeth will begin to naturally shift out of place into the open gaps as a way to compensate. You may also experience a decrease in your confidence and self-esteem as well as increased risk for oral health problems later in life (i.e. jaw pain, gum disease, etc.) By getting your tooth (or teeth) replaced with a bridge, you can counteract these problems to the best of your ability and improve your quality of life.