Dental Bridges
Tooth loss can affect your ability to speak clearly, chew, and smile with confidence.
If you have one or several missing teeth, Cary Prosthodontics can provide a custom dental bridge to restore your smile.
Read on to discover why it pays to receive a dental bridge from our practice in Cary, NC.
What Are the Benefits of Dental Bridges?
Dental bridges offer a terrific option for replacing one or several consecutive missing teeth. Our dentists are highly trained experts who use state-of-the-art technology to provide compassionate care to all our dentistry practice patients in Cary, Raleigh, and surrounding areas.
Restored Functions
A dental bridge can allow you to enjoy significantly improved dental function. Filling the gap in your smile can help you speak more clearly, and may help you chew challenging foods like steak, nuts, and raw fruit and veggies more easily.
A Long-Term Solution
Our bridges are constructed using advanced materials made to withstand daily biting forces. Traditional bridges can last up to a decade if treated with proper care. The prosthetics of implant-supported bridges can last 15 to 20 years, while the implants themselves can last a lifetime.
Renewed Appearance
Having a complete, healthy smile can make you feel confident in your appearance. If you want to turn back the hands of time and give your self-esteem a boost, consider how our dentist can rejuvenate your smile with a dental bridge.
Protects Natural Teeth
Bridges can help protect your remaining natural teeth from extra wear by disturbing your bite force evenly across your teeth when you’re chewing. By filling in a gap, a dental bridge can also help keep remaining natural teeth from shifting out of place.
What Types of Bridges Are Available?
Traditional Bridges
A traditional dental bridge is designed to replace a single lost tooth or several missing teeth. The bridge consists of a set of artificial teeth called pontics supported by dental crowns placed on your adjacent natural teeth. Pontics are available in several materials, including porcelain, which is a popular option due to its strength and natural appearance. We customize our porcelain pontics and crowns to match your remaining natural teeth.
Traditional dental bridges are a reliable way to restore the function and appearance of your smile. However, they are not without downsides: healthy teeth need to be altered to accommodate the crowns, and a traditional bridge cannot stop the bone atrophy that occurs in the absence of tooth roots. Implant-supported bridges avoid both of these drawbacks.
Implant-Supported Bridges
Unlike a traditional bridge, implant-supported bridges don’t require your dentist to alter your nearby teeth to support the bridge. Instead, the bridge is attached to dental implants embedded in your jaw. Dental implants are small titanium posts designed to replace your lost tooth roots. Once the implants fuse with your jawbone, your dentist will attach your permanent bridge. Patients who maintain good oral health and have sufficient jawbone tissue are usually candidates for implants.
While implant-supported bridges require a greater investment than a traditional bridge, this option is the only solution that can prevent jawbone atrophy after your teeth have been lost. This is because implants provide the same stimulation to the jawbone that natural tooth roots provide, which signals to the body to retain bone tissue in the area. Our practice can both place and restore dental implants at our office in Cary, NC, with no need for referrals.
Benefits of an Implant-Supported Bridge
When compared to a traditional restoration, implant-supported dental bridges provide additional benefits:
Bone Preservation
Jawbone atrophy happens as you age; however, missing one or more tooth roots can accelerate this process. Dental implants act like natural tooth roots by stimulating the tissues in your jawbone, helping prevent it from deteriorating.
Preserving Healthy Teeth
Since implant-supported bridges don't require crowns, our dentists do not have to alter any healthy teeth in order to place the bridge. Though crowns can be an excellent restoration option when needed, leaving healthy teeth intact is always preferable.
Suffering With a Lost Tooth? Consider How Dental Bridges Can Help!
Dental bridges provide an excellent option for restoring your teeth in a way that looks and feels natural. Our team at Cary Prosthodontics serves patients in Cary and Raleigh, NC, and surrounding areas. Call a member of our dental staff or contact us online to schedule an appointment with one of our dentists. We're glad to answer any questions you have about dental bridges and help you achieve a dazzling smile.
Call Our Office
(919) 364-6752
"...Cary Prosthodontics is an excellent place to get your teeth issues resolved permanently. Dr. Kofford and his staff are very professional and complete their work with the upmost quality. Dr. Kofford has a whole body approach to customize your teeth to your smile and face verses just putting in teeth to satisfy a resolution. DO NOT GO to a general dentist to resolve your teeth issues, go to a trained Prosthodontist where they are trained in teeth reconstruction and specialize in teeth and oral reconstruction. He uses minimal implants to reconstruct a whole bridge and determines the least cost methods to resolve your issues..." John Kemeny, 2021 5-Star Review
The Traditional Dental Bridge Procedure
We offer sedation dentistry options to help you feel more comfortable through your treatment. If you need preparatory dental procedures like treatment for periodontal disease, one of our dentists will complete these treatments before taking steps to replace your teeth.
Our bridges are constructed using advanced materials that combine durability with a natural-looking appearance.
The Process of Receiving a Traditional Dental Bridge
Whether you're missing one tooth or several, a traditional bridge can fill the gap. Your dentist will reshape the teeth adjacent to the gap so that crowns can be cemented in place. These crowns will support the prosthetic tooth (or if needed, teeth), called pontics.
Dental Bridge Candidacy
Your dentist will perform an exam during your initial appointment to determine if you’re a candidate for a dental bridge. Using detailed X-rays and scans, our dentist can help you decide between a traditional or implant-supported bridge.
Here are some candidacy requirements for dental bridges:
- Having one missing tooth or several consecutive missing teeth
- Being in reasonably good dental health
- Being free from periodontal disease
- Have adequate jawbone density
Our dentists can resolve dental problems like periodontal disease before a dental bridge procedure. A partial denture may be a better option than a bridge if you are missing teeth sporadically throughout your mouth.
"Cary Prosthodontics is the best."
Jack VanErt
2020
I initially went to Dr. Kofford because of his donation of extensive dental work to orphans from the Ukraine that my daughter was sponsoring. After having a bridge made, requiring 4 visits, I can say he was great. He will be my dentist from now on that I hope I will not need, other than cleanings.
View on GoogleSheryl Bullock
2021
Cary Prosthodontics is the best. They are warm and kind. I'm a veteran and they helped restore my mouth and gave me back my smile. I am now able to eat and chew and my self esteem has been restored. I would recommend them to anyone!
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