Dental Bridges – Schenectady, NY
Repair the Gaps in Your Smile
Even just missing one or two teeth can have serious impacts on how you look and feel about yourself, not to mention your ability to speak or chew up food properly. If you’re in Schenectady and are looking to repair the gaps in your smile, Dr. Oshins and the rest of our team at Oshins of Smiles would be happy to outfit you with a dental bridge.
Our high-quality dental bridges can seamlessly replace teeth that you’ve lost with a strong, stable restoration. If that sounds intriguing, call us today for a consultation!
Why Choose Oshins of Smiles For Dental Bridges?
- Capable Dentist With Advanced Education in Restorations
- High-tech Dental Office Outfitted With Cutting-Edge Technology
- Will Work With Insurance Companies To Ensure Best Possible Coverage
What is a Dental Bridge?
Generally speaking, dental bridges consist of two dental crowns with one or more false teeth sandwiched in between them. They’re typically made of tooth-colored ceramic, like porcelain or zirconium, to afford them both strength and beauty.
Dental bridges are typically used to replace one or two teeth that were right next to each other, and that have a number of fairly healthy teeth surrounding them. This restoration is designed to look natural enough that when the crowns are placed on the surrounding teeth they blend in seamlessly with the rest of the mouth.
Types of Dental Bridges
There are multiple kinds of dental bridges, each of which is best suited to different situations. We would need to meet with you personally to determine for sure which kind of dental bridge would be best for you, but if you’re curious, here’s what we have to offer.
Traditional Dental Bridges
Traditional bridges work essentially as described above—the dental crowns are placed on the teeth surrounding the gap in your smile, filling a hole that’s been bothering you.
This is a fairly quick and easy way to replace a few teeth, and the connection to natural teeth offers you greater bite strength than you’d get from, say, dentures. All told, you can use this method to get a beautiful restoration in as little as two appointments.
Implant Bridges
Implant bridges work a little bit differently. These also consist of several dental crowns connected to each other, but instead of being attached to the tooth, these bridges are affixed to dental implants.
These implants are small titanium posts that are surgically placed in the jawbone itself. This affords implant bridges a level of structural integrity that traditional bridges do not have. Dental implants also last for an incredibly long time, with some enduring as long as 30 years if maintained well.
The Benefits of Getting a Dental Bridge
You might wonder whether it’s worth going to the trouble of replacing a tooth that you’ve lost, but leaving a hole in your smile can have serious negative impacts on how you feel.
For one, it’s common for the teeth that surround a gap to start to move to fill the void, which can cause your smile as a whole to fall into misalignment. This can make it difficult to bite, chew, and even clean your teeth properly.
And that’s to say nothing of how missing a tooth makes you look. If the gap in your smile is obvious, it can put a serious damper on your ability to be sure of yourself. By getting a beautiful dental bridge, you can improve your confidence in your appearance.
So what are you waiting for? If you’re missing teeth, give us a call today—we’ll fill the hole in your smile in no time at all!
Dental Bridges FAQs
Can You Take a Dental Bridge Out?
Dental bridges are designed to be secured within the mouth using either dental crowns mounted on the healthy teeth on either side of the gap or implants surgically placed directly into the jawbone. In either case, the patient should not be unable to remove the appliance without the assistance of a qualified dental professional. Some people may refer to partial dentures as “removable bridges,” but this is a misnomer. While dentures are designed to be removed by the patient, bridges are not.
Is Getting a Dental Bridge Painful?
Before beginning the process of placing your dental bridge, Dr. Oshins will administer an appropriate anesthetic to ensure that you feel no pain. While you may experience some sensitivity for a few days after receiving a bridge, this discomfort should be easy to manage with over-the-counter pain relievers. However, contact our office if your discomfort seems to be getting worse instead of better after a few days. One of the most significant advantages of dental bridges is that they help prevent your remaining teeth from drifting out of place, which can help you avoid much discomfort later on. If you are receiving an implant bridge, strictly following your postoperative instructions will help keep your recovery process comfortable while preventing complications.
How Long Should a Dental Bridge Last?
A traditional dental bridge lasts somewhere between five and fifteen years on average, but this can vary based on the material the appliance is made from and the quality of the care it receives. For example, while metal dental bridges may have slightly longer lifespans than metal-free ones, the difference is often negligible. Good dental hygiene habits can prevent oral infections like tooth decay as well as the need to remove and possibly replace your bridge so the problem can be treated. Chewing on ice or inedible objects, smoking, and using your teeth to open packages or bottles are all excellent ways to damage your bridge and natural teeth alike, so it’s important to kick these habits as soon as possible. Bridges placed towards the front of the mouth may also last slightly longer than those that replace the back teeth since they endure less pressure during the chewing process. Bridges supported by dental implants typically last much longer than traditional restorations, and while it will eventually be necessary to replace the bridge itself, the implants supporting it can last for decades or perhaps a lifetime if they receive excellent care.
How Many Teeth Can a Dental Bridge Replace?
A dental bridge can replace anywhere from one to four sequential missing teeth depending on the patient’s needs, but bridges are typically used to replace only one or two teeth. Longer traditional bridges are more unstable, and this problem will only get worse if the teeth supporting them are not in good shape. While it may be risky to have a bridge with three or more teeth, securing the appliance with dental implants can lower this risk since implants are just as strong and durable as natural teeth.