Dental Bridges – West Monroe, LA
Seamlessly Fill the Gaps Between Teeth
While your natural teeth are designed to help you chew and smile for a lifetime, tooth loss is still prevalent for many adults in the United States. Whether you’ve lost one or more teeth to injury, decay, or gum disease, you don’t have to deal with these empty spaces forever. Dr. L. King Scott can seamlessly fill the gaps between teeth with a dental bridge in West Monroe, LA. This lifelike prosthesis not only completes your smile, but it also keeps your remaining teeth in place and makes chewing a whole lot easier. Contact us today to learn whether a dental bridge is just the thing your smile needs!
What Is a Dental Bridge?
A dental bridge is a tried-and-true method of replacing one or more missing teeth in a row. It consists of several dental crowns that are strung together and customized to blend in with the rest of your pearly whites. Typically, bridges are made from tooth-colored yet durable materials like ceramic. Once your bridge has been secured into place, no one besides you, Dr. Scott, and our dental team should be able to distinguish it from your natural teeth!
Types of Dental Bridges
These days, you have more options than ever before to revitalize your smile after tooth loss. As an experienced dentist in West Monroe, Dr. Scott can recommend which solution is best for you after examining your smile. He may suggest one of the two main types of dental bridges, which are:
Traditional Dental Bridge
A traditional dental bridge relies on two of your remaining teeth for support. These teeth are gently reshaped, and a crown is placed over each of them, with as many artificial teeth suspended between them as you need to complete your smile. With the right oral hygiene routine and regular dental checkups, your bridge can last for more than a decade before it must be replaced.
Implant Bridge
Many patients choose to anchor their bridge onto one or two dental implants instead of their natural teeth. These titanium posts serve as roots for your new teeth by being surgically placed in the jaw and fusing to the bone tissue. By replacing the root structure of your missing teeth, implant bridges provide benefits that traditional ones cannot, such as restoring more chewing power, preserving your jawbone, and not requiring the alteration of your remaining teeth. Additionally, dental implants have a 95% success rate and can last for 30+ years if you take good care of them.
The Benefits of Getting a Dental Bridge
Tooth loss is much more than just a cosmetic concern. Failing to replace missing teeth can lead to all sorts of oral health complications later on and even a lower quality of life. Fortunately, dental bridges offer several benefits as a tooth replacement, including:
- Greater self-confidence.
- Renewed chewing ability.
- Prevention of the dental drift that tends to occur after teeth are lost.
- Lowered long-term dental care costs.