When you have missing or broken teeth, you don't need to hide your smile. Dr. Michael Pugh is a dentist at Artistic Dentistry, located in Huntsville, AL, and a dentist like him can close the gaps in your smile with a dental bridge.

What Are Dental Bridges?

Dental bridges are literal bridges for any gaps in your teeth created by a missing tooth or teeth. A bridge consists of two teeth working as an anchor with a false tooth or teeth in between them. The anchor teeth are known as abutment teeth, with the false teeth known as pontics. A dentist will offer pontics made from gold, porcelain, alloy, or a combination of materials. Your natural teeth or dental implants support the dental bridge.

Dental bridges are permanent appliances and can be made up of several pieces fused to fill open spaces in your mouth and provide a better alternative to partial dentures.

Types of Dental Bridges

There are four main types of dental bridges offered by your dentist:

1. Traditional fixed bridge: most common and consists of a crown on either side of the pontic or false teeth.
2. Maryland dental bridge: used to replace the front teeth and uses porcelain instead of crowns bonded to the back of your teeth. Also known as a resin-bonded bridge.
3. Implant-support bridge: the dentist will place a dental implant for any missing teeth and then apply this bridge over them in a later procedure.
4. Cantilever bridge: When one side of the gap contains a single crown, the dentist will anchor a natural tooth and the pontic onto the natural tooth.

Advantages of Dental Bridges

When you come in for your consultation appointment with Dr. Pugh in Huntsville, AL, the dentist will perform an exam and determine if you are a candidate for a dental bridge. The advantages that come after receiving a dental bridge are many, and they include:

• Restoring your natural smile
• Maintaining a typical facial structure because you are preventing jaw bone loss from the previously missing tooth or teeth
• You are restoring your ability to chew food properly
• Maintain normal speech function
• You prevent any further dental problems, such as nearby teeth moving into the space of your missing teeth, leading to further complications.

Not everyone is a good candidate for a dental bridge, but you and your dentist can discuss this and other ways to get your smile back today. Call Dr. Pugh at Artistic Dentistry today. He is the dentist you need, located in the Huntsville, AL, area at phone (256) 536-3386.

Are you ready to learn more about what these restorations could do to enhance your smile?

Dentistry has certainly come a long way over the centuries. We can do everything from brightening smiles to replace missing teeth. Despite all the amazing advancements in technology, there are still some restorations that stand the test of time. The appearance, function and materials may change, but the overall idea remains the same. From the office of our Huntsville, AL, dentist Dr. Michael Pugh, learn more about these tried-and-true restorations.

Crowns and bridges can work together or separately. You may need a dental crown if you are faced with a damaged tooth. Teeth that become cracked, chipped or broken could sustain more damage or become weaker over time. They need something to cover it to protect it. This is where a crown comes in. A crown is made to look just like a real tooth and can even be made from tooth-colored materials so that no one will even know you have a restoration.

Dental bridges, on the other hand, are used to replace missing teeth. This restoration will actually use crowns to support the bridge and secure it into place. The crowns and bridge will be made from impressions taken of your mouth. Once the dental lab has created these restorations you will come back in so your Huntsville, AL, general dentist can fit you with your new dental work.

If you are getting a dental bridge the crowns will be cemented over the teeth that surround the gap. Before you get your bridge we will need to assess the overall health of your smile to make sure those teeth are strong enough to support dental crowns and a bridge. Once the crowns are cemented into place the false teeth are then bonded in between the crowns.

While we would love for any dental restoration to last a lifetime, at some point you will have to have your crowns and dental bridge replaced. This is why it’s important that you continue to follow up with us every six months for routine exams to make sure your restoration is still healthy. We will also provide you with a list of ways to care for your new restoration so that it can last you a long time.

Artistic Dentistry in Huntsville, AL, is dedicated to improving and restoring your smile. Whether you require cosmetic changes or full-reconstructive treatments, we are here to give you a healthy smile that lasts. Call our office today.