Fill the gaps in your smile
Dental Bridges in El Cajon, CA
At Rancho San Diego Dental, we create natural-looking, well-fitting bridges to cover the gaps left by one or more missing teeth.
Bridges can be an excellent, affordable solution to handle missing teeth without requiring the use of dental implants or partial dentures. Even if you have a missing tooth at the back of your mouth that people don’t often see, getting the gap filled is very important to your chewing function and your overall oral health. Spaces in the mouth from missing teeth can cause multiple teeth to shift, lead to bite and/or jaw problems and spur periodontal disease.
A bridge is made of two supporting teeth and one or two porcelain teeth to fill the gaps. Those two supporting teeth can be dental implants or crowned natural teeth. The bridge and crowns can be all-porcelain. Or they can be porcelain fused to zirconia or metal. We use top-grade, natural-looking and durable materials. And we’ll make sure your bridge looks completely natural, that it’s correctly placed and that it’ll last a long time.
Implant-Supported Bridges
Dental bridges safeguard the integrity of existing teeth and help maintain a healthy, vibrant smile. A bridge can be attached to dental implants. With an implant-supported bridge, the bridge is anchored on both sides by an implant. An implant-supported bridge is another option to full dental implants or dentures. Unlike dentures, bridges are permanently fixed in place and act very much like your natural teeth.
If you are going to have teeth removed, or if you already have a lot of missing teeth, an alternative is a bridge supported by implants. If you have three to four missing teeth, for example, we can create a bridge by placing two dental implants and then using them to secure the bridge. It is an important part of full-mouth reconstruction.
Why You Need a Bridge
Losing a tooth to decay, disease, or trauma can be devastating. It impacts the function of your mouth, as well as your self-esteem. In the short term, a missing tooth or teeth could make it difficult to eat or speak, but over time, the bone of your jaw will begin to deteriorate and recede, causing adjacent teeth to lean into the gap and create misalignment and bite issues.
In other words, it’s best to replace a missing tooth as soon as possible. One option offered by the experienced dentists at Rancho San Diego Dental is a bridge. This permanent restoration includes the use of a dental crown affixed to adjacent teeth, or in some cases, dental implants.
A bridge will restore function in your mouth so that you can eat normally, and it will prevent other teeth in your mouth from shifting out of position. With your smile completed once again, you’ll regain the confidence to display your friendly personality with a sunny smile.
Caring for Bridgework
Bridges are designed to be resilient, just like your natural teeth, but they still require proper care if you want them to continue performing for years to come. Like many restorations, dental bridges can last 5 to 15 years or longer with diligent care.
You’ll want to start by practicing proper oral hygiene, including daily brushing, flossing, and rinsing, as well as regular dental visits for check-up and cleaning. Because dental bridges are permanently affixed to adjacent teeth, flossing can be difficult, but you do need to floss between teeth, as well as the area between the gum and the base of the bridge, to remove any food particles or bacteria that become lodged there. This is best accomplished with the use of spongy floss that can effectively clean this area.
