Dental Bridges
San Diego, CA

When tooth loss becomes an issue you can rest assures that we at La Jolla Dental have got you covered. Tooth loss can lead to some oral health issues that you just don’t want to deal with, so when you lose a tooth, or are faced with tooth loss it’s important that you consider tooth replacement. Dental bridges are a permanent tooth replacement option that offer patients the ability to live their life as they would before tooth loss.

How Tooth Loss Can Affect You

When you lose teeth a few different things change in your mouth that can lead to further tooth loss and poor oral health conditions. When you lose a tooth your jaw bone ceases to be stimulated in that area. Your jaw bone depends on tactile stimulation in order to maintain healthy bone levels. When the jaw bone stops receiving tactile stimulation it will eventually start to succumb to bone recession or loss. The jawbone is an integral structure when it comes to supporting surrounding teeth, so when bone loss starts to occur in a portion of the jaw, the surrounding teeth are at risk to be lost.

A more immediate issue when you lose a tooth is the teeth surrounding that tooth. Teeth depend on each other for support so when one is lost the neighboring teeth are free to travel into the space left behind. In a sort of domino effect, the teeth next to those teeth are free to move about as well. Before you know it, your teeth have moved enough to cause issues with your bite fitting together properly. This can lead to cracked teeth and TMJ pain.

How Bridges Can be Placed in Your Mouth

Bridges require at least two anchors—one to support each end of the bridge. Anchors can be made out of natural, healthy teeth, or dental implants that we surgically place into your jaw.

The process to receive a bridge usually requires at least two trips to our office. During the first visit we will extract any failing teeth (if applicable) and assess the area where the bridge will be placed. A mold will be taken of the area so that we can have a perfect replica of your teeth crafted in a way that it will fit into the edentulous region of your jaw. If we are using your natural teeth as anchors, we will prepare them the same way we would prepare a tooth to receive a crown—by shaving off the enamel surrounding the tooth so the restoration can fit over the top. Once the tooth has been prepped we will place a temporary bridge in your mouth.

When the dental lab finishes the fabrication of your bridge and sends it back to us it will be time for your second appointment. During your second appointment we will remove the temporary and place the permanent bridge. We will cement it in place for good using permanent dental cement once we ensure that it fit into your bite perfectly.

Are you interested in getting a dental bridge? Give us a call at (858) 935-8589. We are happy to help you learn more about your smile and tooth replacement options like dentures and dental implants. Book an appointment with us online today!