The Benefits of Porcelain Bridges

If you’ve got one or more missing teeth, you might feel self-conscious about your appearance – particularly at meal times, public events, and functions. You might even struggle to correctly chew your food, which can lead to other issues. Thankfully, there’s a relatively simple solution available at Implant & Comprehensive Dentistry: porcelain bridges.
Porcelain bridges are exactly what they sound like – they’re manufactured from porcelain, and designed to “bridge” the gaps created by your missing teeth. These bridges are supported by your natural teeth (or implants if you have any), and bring with them several benefits.
Porcelain bridges can:
• Help restore the aesthetics of your natural smile.
• Improve your ability to chew food.
• Improve your ability to speak.
• Maintain the overall shape of your face.
• Evenly distribute the biting force in your mouth, which helps to protect your other teeth from wearing down.
What Type of Porcelain Bridges Are Available?
There are three main types of porcelain dental bridge. These are:
• Traditional porcelain bridges – These involve crown creation for teeth/implants on both sides of the missing tooth. A pontic is then placed in-between. These are the most common type of bridge used by dental healthcare professionals.
• Cantilever bridges – These are used when adjacent teeth are present on only one side of the missing tooth. These aren’t used much in modern dentistry, although they can be beneficial in certain circumstances. Cantilever bridges are generally used at the front of the mouth.
• Maryland bridges – These are manufactured from porcelain (sometimes with porcelain fused to metal) and are bonded to the existing teeth for a more permanent solution.
The Process
The initial treatment involves preparing the abutment teeth. This means teeth are recontoured via the removal of a small portion of enamel, allowing for a crown to placed on top of them. After this, impressions of the teeth are made. This impression serves as a model from which the bridge will be manufactured. Your dental professional may create a temporary bridge to protect any exposed teeth/gums while your permanent bridge is manufactured.
Once your bridge is ready, it will be checked and adjusted as necessary to achieve a proper fit. Achieving a proper fit could take one or more visits before you are completely comfortable, although many achieve this in just one treatment.
If you’d like more information on how porcelain bridges could benefit your oral health, simply get in touch with Implant & Comprehensive Dentistry of Champions Gate and Winter Haven, FL today. We also serve residents in Celebration. Contact us today to schedule your consultation!