Tooth loss can lead to major issues for your smile, even if you have lost only one tooth. Which is why we want to help, and can do so with a dental bridge. In today’s blog, the team at Elm Creek Dental in Maple Grove, MN, talks about how we address your missing teeth with a custom dental bridge.
The Onset of Tooth Loss
Tooth loss can be caused by issues like cavities, infections, or even injuries to the face or jaw. The most common factor behind adult tooth loss is the periodontitis stage of gum disease. When you lose natural teeth, you need to seek a replacement to improve your oral health and keep your smile intact. Otherwise, the gap could allow surrounding teeth to move, drifting to create misalignment that further harms the health and appearance of your smile.
Missing teeth could limit your meal options, alter how clearly you speak, and may even lead to related issues like TMJ disorder and bruxism (teeth grinding). Your jaw can lose mass and density too, which leads to not only further tooth loss, but an aged appearance! Our team is ready to help through, and can secure a traditional or implant-supported dental bridge.
Dental Bridges
A dental bridge is a great way to replace a single missing tooth, or to address as many as two to three in a row. For a traditional option, we will numb the abutment teeth on each side of the open gap and then gently remove structure from them. Once we do, we will take images and impressions of your abutment teeth and the gap, which we then use to design and craft a custom dental prosthetic.
The prosthetic will be made from ceramic and shaded to blend with your smile, containing your new tooth/teeth with crowns attached to each end. We place the crowns on the abutment teeth, securing your new teeth in place for years to come.
Dental Implant Support
Our team could also support one with dental implants. The abutment teeth don’t need to lose structure with this option, as we will insert one to two dental implants into the jaw. We then attach the crown portion of the prosthetic to them, keeping your denture in place for decades to come, possibly a lifetime, and prevent your jawbone from losing mass and density!
If you have any questions about how our team will create and place a custom dental bridge to tackle your tooth loss, then contact our team today.
Elm Creek Dental Offers Prosthetic Dentistry
Our team is ready to help address your missing teeth with a lifelike and durable dental prosthetic. To find out more about replacing your missing teeth, then call Elm Creek Dental in Maple Grove, MN, today at 763-416-0606.