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Fill the Gap in Your Smile With a Dental Bridge
If you're missing one or more teeth, you can fill the gap in your smile with a bridge. By combining crowns, we can build a bridge that lets you eat, speak, and smile naturally once again. Lost teeth can affect your bite and your oral and overall health, as well as your self-confidence. Leaving that empty space raises your risk of further tooth loss over time, since neighboring teeth can gradually shift into the gap left behind.
At Oregon Smile Care Center, we offer both traditional and implant-supported bridges, giving you options tailored to the condition of your remaining teeth and your long-term goals. Since bridges are made with the same durable materials as our dental crowns, you can count on a restoration that looks natural, functions reliably, and holds up well over years of everyday use.
Schedule Your Dental Bridge Consultation
What Is a Dental Bridge
A dental bridge is a fixed restoration designed to replace one or more missing teeth by anchoring a replacement tooth, or teeth, to the structures on either side of the gap. Since bridges are made with the same materials as our crowns, you can count on the same cosmetic and restorative benefits, including a natural appearance and reliable strength for biting and chewing. Once in place, a bridge closes the visible gap in your smile while also restoring the function lost when a tooth goes missing.
Are You a Candidate for a Dental Bridge?
You may be a good candidate for a dental bridge if you're missing one or more teeth and have healthy teeth or sufficient bone structure nearby to support the restoration. Patients with strong adjacent teeth are often well-suited for a traditional bridge, while those looking to preserve those teeth may prefer an implant-supported option. During your consultation, our team will evaluate your bite, gum health, and the condition of nearby teeth to recommend the type of bridge best suited to your situation.
Types of Bridges We Offer
You have the option of a traditional bridge or an implant-supported bridge, each with its own approach to support:
Traditional Bridges
Supported by the teeth nearest to the gap in your smile, these teeth are reshaped as they would be for a crown, providing the anchor points that hold the bridge securely in place.
Implant—Supported Bridges
Implants are placed in your jaw to hold the bridge in position. With this option, you don't have to alter otherwise healthy adjacent teeth, since the implants themselves provide the support.
Your Dental Bridge Procedure, Step by Step
Getting a dental bridge typically involves a few key steps over the course of two or more visits:
Initial Consultation
We evaluate the gap in your smile, your bite, and the condition of your adjacent teeth or jawbone to determine the right type of bridge.
Preparing the Support
For a traditional bridge, the neighboring teeth are reshaped to support crowns. For an implant-supported bridge, implants are placed and given time to heal and integrate with the jawbone.
Taking Impressions
Detailed impressions or digital scans are taken to custom-fabricate your bridge to fit precisely and match your natural teeth.
Temporary Bridge Placement
A temporary bridge may be worn while your permanent restoration is being made.
Final Placement
Your custom bridge is fitted, adjusted for comfort and bite alignment, and permanently secured in place.
Caring for Your Dental Bridge
A dental bridge can last many years with proper care, but it does require some extra attention during daily hygiene. Cleaning underneath the bridge is essential to prevent plaque buildup and gum irritation around the supporting teeth or implants. Our team will show you the proper technique for flossing under your bridge, and routine cleanings and exams allow us to monitor its condition over time.
Why Choose a Dental Bridge
Replacing a missing tooth with a bridge offers several important benefits beyond simply filling a visible gap:
- Restored bite function: A bridge allows you to bite and chew normally again, distributing pressure evenly across your teeth.
- Prevents further tooth loss: Filling the gap helps stabilize surrounding teeth, which can otherwise shift and become more vulnerable to loss over time.
- Natural appearance: Made from the same durable materials as our dental crowns, bridges are designed to blend seamlessly with your existing smile.
- Improved speech and confidence: Missing teeth can affect speech clarity and self-confidence, both of which a bridge helps restore.
- Flexible treatment options: Choose between a traditional bridge or an implant-supported bridge based on your needs and the condition of your remaining teeth.
Restore the Full Use of Your Smile
If you ever need dental crowns and bridges in Salem, OR, we're more than ready to help repair your smile and restore the full use of your teeth. Call Oregon Smile Care Center today to schedule your appointment.
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