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Bridge Gaps in Your Mouth from Missing Teeth with Dental Bridges

Universal Dental
Welcome to Universal Dental, where we serve our patients in Universal City and our neighbors in Live Oak, Converse, Schertz, Selma, Bracken, Cibolo, and Garden Ridge. We are a modern dental clinic dedicated to providing you with the best dental experience possible. With our state-of-the-art technology, experienced team, and comfortable atmosphere, we will help you achieve the smile of your dreams. No matter what brings you to our office, you can enjoy the quality, affordable, and fully personalized care that you deserve.
BY Universal Dental

Are one or more missing teeth adversely affecting your appearance and functionality of your smile? Missing teeth cause a host of problems, including occlusion, shifting of your teeth, TMJ disorders, speech impediments, and a higher risk of tooth decay and periodontal disease. Having already lost your teeth, you may resign yourself to living with gaps in your smile. However, if you look for dental bridges near you, the realization will dawn upon you, the gaps between your teeth can be bridged with dental bridges.

Dental bridges are similar to implants or partial dentures and helpful for replacing missing teeth. You can find different types of fixed dental bridges, including traditional, cantilever, and resin bonded. Usually, a traditional or cantilever bridge requires reshaping of your teeth neighboring the missing teeth. The shaped teeth are restored with crowns attached to an artificial tooth in between called a Pontic. Resin-bonded bridges don’t need significant preparation of the neighboring teeth. They are usually used on the front teeth if the gums healthy, and the surrounding teeth don’t have extensive dental fillings. Are you convinced that replacing your missing teeth is not challenging? If so, please continue reading to learn more about dental bridges.

Planning Your Treatment with Dental Bridges

After you and your dentist at dental bridges in Universal City, TX, determine that a dental bridge is an optimal replacement for your missing tooth or teeth, you are advised of the different materials that can be used by the dental laboratory to prepare your restoration. The dentist considers where the bridge will be located in your mouth, whether you are affected by bruxism, dental insurance coverage, and other factors before suggesting the right material for your needs.

X-rays and impressions of the treatment area are taken by the dentist from dental bridges in Universal City to plan an ideal dental restoration for you.

The Dental Bridge Procedure

Your dentist examines the health of your teeth and gums to evaluate whether you are a candidate for dental bridges during your first visit. Local anesthesia is administered when preparing your teeth that will support the bridge. If the adjacent teeth are decayed or badly worn down, your dentist may help to restore them before they can be used as supporting teeth.

After teeth preparation, your dentist takes impressions of the prepared teeth to create a model of your oral cavity. This model is used by the dental laboratory to fabricate your dental bridge. The skilled lab technicians ensure the bridge precisely fits the prepared teeth. It is incredibly essential that you have a perfect fitting to ensure additional oral health issues like tooth decay do not affect you.

Your dentist provides a temporary bridge to protect your prepared teeth as the laboratory fabricates the permanent bridge. You must return to your dentist in a couple of weeks to have the dental bridge fitted and bonded.

Caring for Your Dental Bridges

Your dentist provides instructions to maintain the performance and longevity of your dental bridge besides your teeth and gums. It is vital for you to floss thoroughly and on the areas surrounding the bridge between the Pontic and the underlying gum tissue. You can use a special floss threader to accomplish the objectives of cleaning around and under the dental bridges. You must also brush your teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and visit your dentist every six months for exams and cleanings. Any compromises to the instructions provided by your dentist will affect the longevity of your dental bridge besides leaving vulnerable to issues like periodontal disease and tooth decay.

Are Dental Bridges Expensive?

Several factors are considered when calculating the costs of dental bridges. They are:

  1. The experience of the dentist and your location.
  2. The technique used by the dentist and the lab technicians.
  3. The material used for fabricating the dental bridge.
  4. The need for additional procedures like fillings or root canal treatments on neighboring teeth.
  5. The preparation of your teeth involved in the procedure.

The prices for dental bridges can range from $ 700-$ 1500 based on the factors mentioned above. You could be replacing just a single missing tooth, but your bridge may require additional pontics, in which case the prices increase significantly. It will help if you discussed the costs with your dentist before deciding on bridges to replace the missing teeth in your mouth.

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