Missing teeth are a common problem that can happen at any age. The causes are many, including accident, periodontal disease, genetics, or simply from lacking access to basic care. Tooth loss not only zaps your confidence, it can affect your oral health. A West Hollywood dental bridges provider will also tell you that tooth loss leads to a host of other problems, including:
- Bone loss
- Bite problems
- More intensive – and expensive – treatments
Before looking for a West Hollywood dental bridges dentist, it’s helpful to know the facts about the benefits of bridges and how they can improve your oral health and well-being.
What Are Bridges?
A bridge is just what it sounds like: a lab-created tooth or teeth affixed to a base; it bridges the gap left when you lose some of your natural teeth. Your West Hollywood dental bridges technician will craft teeth from a combination of dental-grade materials like gold or an alloy and porcelain to create replacement teeth that are custom-made for you. They differ from partial dentures, which are a temporary solution that’s removable and generally made to cover a wider area of tooth loss. The new bridge is anchored on each side by a crown and can last for more than 10 years with proper oral care.
How Do Bridges Affect Oral Health?
When you lose even one tooth, it affects many things in your life: your smile, your ability to eat certain foods, and even your ability to speak properly. Because the remaining teeth try to move in and fill the space, your surrounding teeth and supporting bone become unstable. This can lead to jaw pain, gum disease, other loose teeth, and alignment problems. The resulting bone loss also detracts from your appearance by changing the shape of your jawline, making you look older. Your West Hollywood dental bridges dentist can help restore your appearance and oral health in just a few visits.
How Does it Work?
Our West Hollywood dental bridges dentist will take an X-ray to determine the extent of bone loss and stability of the surrounding teeth. Then a mold will be made for the lab technician to work from. This is to ensure a custom fit and minimize your discomfort after the bridge is placed. Our dentist may suggest tooth whitening so the new bridge looks more natural with your surrounding teeth. The teeth on either wide of the bridge will be ground and capped with a crown to provide an anchor for the bridge. You may also get a temporary partial until your new bridge is finished since the process may take one – three visit from start to finish.
Oral Health Begins With Us
Since bone loss and shifting begin soon after tooth loss, it’s important to see our West Hollywood dental bridges dentist as soon as possible for an examination and treatment. West Hollywood Holistic Cosmetic Dental Care is an oral health provider that you can feel good about. We offer same-day appointments and free initial consultations, so call us to schedule today.
