Bridge gaps in your smile with a range of options to support lasting oral health and healthy function
Just as an architectural bridge spans two points, we can create a dental bridge to span the space between two teeth. You may have gaps in your smile due to tooth decay, gum disease, or other trauma that irrevocably damages the tooth. Severely decayed, broken, or damaged teeth cannot be restored with root canal therapy and surgical endodontic treatments. In those cases where a natural tooth cannot be preserved, our doctors recommend prompt tooth replacement.
- Conventional fixed bridges – Crowns and replacement teeth (pontics) are fused together. Once the crowns are placed over the teeth adjacent to the gap, the pontics fill the space in between.
- Conventional removable bridges – This design is like its fixed counterpart above, but the bridge is not fixed permanently in place. It is connected to anchor teeth by way of precision attachments or clasps.
- Implant-supported bridges – This system does not rely on neighboring anchor teeth. Instead, the bridge is held in place with dental implants placed in the jaws that integrate or join the surrounding bone. They function like tooth roots to stabilize the replacement teeth.
Tooth replacement and restorations that preserve maximum natural tissue are considered to be “conservative.” Bridges retained by implants are the most conservative of the bridge options. No healthy tooth structure is reduced to build the dental bridge.
Traditional bridges require that the anchor teeth be reduced in size to accommodate the crowns, which fit over the top of each tooth. Crowned teeth adequately support the pontics.
Bridges provide lasting health and functionality as long as they are cared for properly. Notably, bridges must be cleaned thoroughly. Our team is glad to suggest a range of products and techniques to keep the areas under the bridge and the anchor teeth free of food particles and bacteria that promote the development of destructive tooth decay.
Call (978) 881-5826 to schedule your appointment. Our practice is conveniently located for residents in Littleton, West Concord, Concord, Maynard, Westford, Boxborough, Stow, Harvard, Sudbury, and everywhere in between – off the Concord Rotary on 179 Great Road, Suite 204 (Route 2A).
