Dental Bridges in Lewiston ME

Effective both in terms of dental health and affordability, dental bridges can be critical to help patients suffering from the loss of multiple teeth reclaim their smile. Dental bridges can replace multiple teeth at once, forestalling the need for a complete set of dentures.

After looking at all the options, if your Aspire Family Dentistry oral health professionals in Lewiston ME decide together with you that a dental bridge is the way to go, you’ll first be fitted for the highly customized bridge. Then, once it’s ready, it is placed between abutment teeth, also known as anchor teeth.

Whether the anchor teeth are natural or implants, they’re used to hold the dental bridge in place. Dental bridges can be made of different materials, including gold, alloys, and porcelain.

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Why Get a Dental Bridge in Lewiston ME?

You can lose teeth in many different ways, including dental work, or through accidents and other mishaps. In the past, the loss of a tooth was simply something most people had to learn to accept. Today, there are many alternatives to ensure that a missing tooth doesn’t have to become an embarrassment.

A dental bridge is designed to address a particular kind of missing tooth problem for dental patients in Lewiston ME. If there is a “space” in your mouth where you have a tooth, followed by a missing tooth and then another tooth, a dental bridge is a perfect solution. It is important not just for the sake of appearances, but even for your overall dental health that such a sizable gap is not allowed to persist.

Missing a tooth in a row of teeth can interfere with both your ability to speak and eat. Without an equal amount of pressure from all sides, the teeth where a gap is present may eventually become crooked with nothing to hold them securely in place. The unequal distribution of forces in your mouth when you eat, speak, and bite down can also affect your other teeth and even, potentially the shape of your face and lips.

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How Dental Bridges In Work

Where the dental bridge comes in is by filling this gap between the teeth. If you decide to have a dental bridge installed, then a dentist will smooth out the teeth adjacent to the empty space. He will flatten them and turn them into a base or “crown,” that is ready to receive the dental bridge.

The dental bridge itself will look like a complete row of three teeth. But only the middle tooth is “complete” from top to bottom, designed to fill out space in your mouth. The other two teeth have been personalized to your mouth to fit the crown that the dentist made. They will have a snug, tight fit that will be just as secure as your normal teeth.

Are Dental Bridges For Me?

Consider The Benefits:​

• Total Smile Makeover: a great start!
• Results in a stronger, more natural bite.
• Improves speech, cuts down on slurring while speaking.
• Chewing becomes unconscious again, not a pain avoidance exercise.
• Dental bridges can be critical to maintaining facial structure.
• They also keep teeth in position over the long haul and are a very effective dental treatment.

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Different Types of Bridges

Traditional dental bridges are made using a highly customized crown or dental implant on both sides of a missing tooth, or teeth. The pontic, or bridge, literally bridges the gap. Traditional dental bridges are often made with porcelain, then fused with other materials.

Other types of dental bridges include cantilever bridges and Maryland bonded bridges, both can be effective in certain situations, but are much less common. At Aspire Family Dentistry, we take time to examine and consult, then decide on the best course of treatment for each individual.

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Start To Finish: The Dental Bridges Process

Visit 1: Anchor Teeth Prepared ​

• Once the process of replacing multiple teeth with a dental bridge, the anchor teeth on both sides are prepared first. Their shape is adjusted and the enamel is removed where necessary.

Visit 2: Impressions Of Teeth Made, Temporary Bridge Installed

• Then we will create impressions of your teeth in order to build the bridge, pontic (replacement teeth), and crowns. Then, a temporary bridge will be installed while the permanent one is being carefully engineered to fit you and become a regular part of your smile.

Visit 3: Permanent Dental Bridge Fixed In Place

• Finally, in the last stage of this process, we’ll replace your temporary dental bridge with the new, permanent one. The dentist will install it with care and make sure the fit is perfect because, once fixed into the place, the dental bridge is going to be a great addition to your oral health and how you feel about yourself.

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Things To Know About Dental Implants:

• With solid dental health habits and regular check-ups at Aspire Family Dentistry, it’s common for dental bridges to last around a decade, and 5-15 years in most cases.
• After the dental bridge is cemented, chew carefully and eat soft foods at first, while you get used to it.
• Just like chewing, speech may be temporarily affected by a dental bridge, but overall it should improve.
• In addition to brushing, flossing, and preventative maintenance, a balanced, nutritious diet also matters when it comes to dental health.

If you have a problem with a missing tooth, it’s certainly not something that you have to live with forever. A dental bridge is an effective, permanent option that can take care of the problem once and for all. Talk to our top-rated dental team at Aspire Family Dentistry today for more information.