Dental Bridges – Cary, NC

Traditional Dental Bridge

One of the options to replace one or more single teeth in a row is a traditional dental bridge. This is when the prosthetic tooth or teeth are anchored in place with dental crowns. Although this is a more straightforward approach, it does require your teeth surrounding the gap to be altered.

Implant Bridge

An implant bridge, on the other hand, secures the bridge with dental implants, not crowns. In this case, implants are inserted into the jawbone on either side of the gap, providing unmatched stability and comfort. Plus, no alterations to your existing teeth are required!

Is Getting a Dental Bridge Painful?

Before preparing your teeth to support your bridge, we’ll make sure to numb your mouth with a local anesthetic. This will guarantee that you remain comfortable and safe throughout your procedure. Although you shouldn’t feel any discomfort during the preparations and placement of your dental bridge, you may experience minor sensitivity in the underlying teeth for the next few days. You can easily manage this by taking over-the-counter pain relievers or consulting with Dr. Singh for ways to minimize the sensations.

Do Dental Bridges Look Natural?

Many dental bridges are constructed out of durable and natural-looking materials like ceramic or porcelain. Not only do these imitate your normal tooth enamel, but we’ll match their color and shape to fit seamlessly with the rest of your smile. They’ll also be made to function like your natural pearly whites, as you won’t need to worry about your prosthetics falling out like other treatment options, such as dentures.

Can You Take a Dental Bridge Out?

Your dental bridge will be designed to remain in your mouth for many years after we place them. This means you shouldn’t be able to remove them whenever you want, as this will only be performed by your dentist when you need them replaced. A dental bridge is not to be confused with partial dentures, even if they are both meant to replace multiple missing teeth. Though partials can be removed by a patient at any moment, a bridge cannot.

How Long Should a Dental Bridge Last?

While the exact amount of time can vary from patient to patient, you can typically expect your dental bridge to last around 10 or more years. This can depend on the type of material it’s made from as well as if you practice proper care. Brushing and flossing your teeth every day is essential for keeping them clean and free of plaque and bacteria. It’s also important to maintain a balanced diet and avoid poor oral habits—like smoking, biting fingernails, teeth grinding, or using your teeth as tools. The timeframe can be much longer if you opt for implant bridges, as these will be directly anchored to your jawbone via small titanium posts.

How long do dental bridges last?

The average dental bridge lasts between five and 15 years, although the lifespan of yours can vary. By maintaining good oral hygiene habits, professional maintenance, and being mindful of what you eat, you can extend how long your dental bridge lasts you. At Cary Dental Rejuvenation, we recommend that our patients with restorations avoid sticky or excessively hard foods as well as other bad oral habits, like smoking and nail-biting. If you grind your teeth, you may also consider investing in a custom nightguard to protect your restoration.

How many teeth can a dental bridge replace?

Each of the dental bridges that we craft are customized to meet your unique needs. During your consultation, we will decide how many pontics, or free-standing replacement teeth are necessary to restore your smile. In many cases, bridges are used to replace one or two consecutive missing teeth, as these are the most stable designs. However, they can also be designed to replace up to four. In situations where a patient is missing three or four teeth in a row, we may recommend a bridge retained by dental implants for added stability and support. If you would like to learn more about the cost difference between implant bridges and traditional bridges, feel free to call our office or your dental insurance company to ask about coverage.

Is it possible to whiten a dental bridge?

Our dental restorations are crafted from high-quality, non-porous materials that are shaded to match the color of your surrounding teeth, like ceramic and porcelain. Unfortunately, these materials cannot be whitened. In order to brighten your dental bridge in Cary, you’ll need to have it replaced.

Do dental bridges feel natural?

While your restoration may feel unnatural at first, you’ll grow accustomed to the way it feels in your mouth. After a few weeks with your bridge, you likely won’t even remember that it’s there! However, if you’re looking for a more stable and lifelike alternative to a traditional bridge, our team highly recommends considering a bridge that’s secured within the mouth to dental implants. These are small titanium posts that are surgically placed within the jawbone to restore the root structure of your missing teeth in addition to their crowns.

How do I clean under my dental bridge?

It’s important to brush your bridge as you would your natural teeth, but you also need to take care to clean beneath the pontics as well. If you don’t, bacteria can accumulate in this area and increase your risk of developing oral health problems like gum disease or cavities. You can do this by looping a piece of traditional floss through a threader and sliding it beneath the bridge, along the gumline. There are also interproximal brushes that can be easily slid beneath the restoration to clean them. If you experience difficulty doing this, reach out to your dentist in Cary for additional guidance.