Gulf Coast Dental Care of Biloxi is pleased to offer dental bridges as one of our restorative services at our dental office in Biloxi, Mississippi. A dental bridge does just as its name suggests: it bridges the gap created by a missing tooth or teeth. A bridge is a fixed dental restoration, meaning it is non-removable.
A traditional bridge is made up of crowns on the teeth on either side of the gap, with a false tooth or teeth in between. The dental bridge is anchored in place by the two dental crowns which hold the artificial tooth in place. There are other types of bridges aside from the traditional (cantilever, Maryland and implant supported). Dr. Grafton Teets will recommend the type best suited to your specific dental needs.
Dr. Grafton Teets may recommend a bridge because of its benefits. A bridge:
- Restores your ability to speak, eat, and chew as normal
- Replaces missing teeth thereby distributing the forces in your bite correctly to alleviate excess stress on the bite
- May improve the shape and volume of your face
- May replace an unwanted removable partial denture
- Prevents the remaining natural teeth from drifting out of position
- May enhance the appearance of your smile
At Gulf Coast Dental Care of Biloxi, it typically requires only two visits to complete the bridge.
- During the first visit, the anchor teeth are prepared. Dr. Grafton Teets will remove a portion of enamel to allow room for the crowns to be placed over them. Next, he will take impressions of the teeth that become the model from which the bridge, artificial tooth, and crowns will be made. Our dentist will make a temporary bridge to protect your teeth while the bridge is being made by a dental lab.
- During the second visit, Dr. Grafton Teets will be remove the temporary bridge and cement the new bridge after it has been checked and adjusted to ensure a proper fit. You will also receive instructions on the proper care and cleaning of your new bridge.
Dr. Teets will help you determine whether a custom dental bridge is the right choice for restoring your smile after tooth loss. For more information, please call 228-388-9551 or visit us today.