Bridges
At Your Dental Care we can help to restore a natural smile in cases where there are missing teeth. Missing teeth can cause many problems for the oral health of the mouth, bite function and smile aesthetics. A gap in the mouth means that particles of food can get stuck and create a breeding ground for bacteria and plaque, which can then affect the rest of the teeth. Also if the tooth and root are gone the jaw bone in this area may start to break down and decay, causing the jaw to change shape. It may also be more difficult to eat certain foods and puts more stress on the rest of the teeth.
Other than dental implants there are two effective ways to substitute missing teeth. An unfixed false tooth or teeth can be used, which is normally called a partial denture, or a fixed bridge may be applied instead.
A Bridge is normally needed when there are not as many teeth to replace or there are only lost teeth on one part of the jaw. They are normally made from precious metal.
If the bridge is to be visible then porcelain is applied to the base. In order to reduce the cost other less valuable metals can be used instead.
Absent teeth should be replaced for many reasons, including the aesthetics of the face and mouth, as the gaps left by lost tooth can cause the surrounding teeth to work harder.
The gap can also affect bite function as the surrounding teeth can move into the space and change the way in which the upper and lower jaw meet. The gap can attract food particles which are hard to clean and this can lead to gum disease and tooth decay.