Dental bridges in NW Calgary fill holes in your smile to eliminate the shame and embarrassment of tooth loss, prevent harmful changes to the alignment of your teeth and your bite, and allow you to speak and eat completely naturally. You have many options for dental bridges near you, depending on the condition of your teeth and exactly what you hope to accomplish.
Your dentist in NW Calgary will explain the options and help determine the best solution for your needs. Here’s an introduction to some of those options and the steps you’ll go through.
The four types of dental bridges near you
Traditional bridges
The most common type of dental bridges in NW Calgary supports artificial teeth using crowns bonded to natural teeth on either side of the missing teeth. These traditional bridges are strong but depend on the health and strength of the teeth on each side of the gap. Those teeth must be modified by grinding them down to hold the crowns supporting your bridge.
Cantilever bridges
Where traditional bridges are anchored with crowns on both ends, cantilever bridges are anchored via a crown at a single end of the gap in your teeth. Cantilever crowns are an appropriate solution for supporting an artificial replacement for a rear molar. Because there is only one supporting tooth, cantilever bridges are inherently weaker than traditional bridges supported at both ends.
Maryland bridges
The first two options discussed above are supported by crowns that fit over the teeth on each gap end. Maryland bridges are different because they support artificial teeth in a frame made of metal or porcelain attached to the back of teeth on each end of the gap. Maryland bridges are less invasive than traditional cantilever bridges because they don’t require alterations to the natural teeth adjacent to the gap. Maryland bridges are weaker than bridges that use crowns for support.
Implant-supported bridges
Implant-supported bridges are ideal for people missing multiple teeth in the same location. This type of bridge is anchored to your jaw using dental implants directly into your jawbone. Because implant placement involves surgery, implant-supported bridges are the most invasive option. Integrating the implants into your jaw produces the strongest and most stable solution.
What is involved in getting dental bridges in NW Calgary?
The specific steps for getting your bridge will vary depending on which type of bridge you select and the specific condition of your teeth. Each treatment plan is unique. Treatment plans for obtaining bridges have many things in common, including the following stages once your dentist has completed a careful consultation and determined the most appropriate solution.
Preparing Your Teeth
If crowns support your dental bridge, your dentist will remove some material from the teeth — after numbing the area so that you won’t be uncomfortable — on each side of your gap to accommodate those crowns.
Constructing Your Bridge
Just how your bridge will be built depends on several factors, including how many teeth are being replaced, the location of those teeth, and whether you’re getting your bridge that day or later.
Same-Day Bridges
If you’re a candidate for same-day bridges, your dentist will use special dental imaging and manufacturing software. Your dentist in NW Calgary will upload the data into a computer system to guide a milling machine to craft a bridge out of ceramic while you wait.
Externally Prepared Bridges
To guide the preparation of bridges by an external laboratory, your dentist in NW Calgary will prepare moulds of your teeth to send to a laboratory. There, technicians will construct your new crown.
Either the same day or at an appointment arranged once the dental laboratory delivers your crowns, the dentist near you will bond the crowns at each end of the bridge to your natural teeth (or attach the framework to the back of your natural teeth if you’ve opted for a Maryland bridge), and will then bond the artificial teeth to your bridge.
Are you curious whether you’re a good candidate for dental bridges and what type would best solve your tooth loss and restore your smile and dental function? To find out, contact a dentist in NW Calgary and ask to make an appointment to review your options.
