Dental Bridges Fort Smith AR Here at Harper Dental, we have qualified dentists who can bridge, or close the gaps in your teeth using dental bridges. Dental bridges are fake or false teeth, also known as pontics, which are held in position by an abutment tooth on each side of the gap. The false teeth are mostly made out of porcelain, alloys, gold, or a mixture of the materials listed above. If you are planning to have dental bridges fixed, it's important to understand that an implant or your natural teeth will support the bridges. So, Why Do You Need Dental Bridges?There are various reasons as to why our experts will recommend dental bridges. Some of these include restoring your smile and the ability to speak or chew properly. In addition to this, the experts in our offices can also recommend dental bridges to maintain or restore the shape of the patient's face. Since dental bridges replace a missing tooth or teeth, they assist in distributing your biting force evenly. Lastly, dental bridges can prevent your remaining teeth from shifting out of their position. Different Types Of Dental BridgesWhen you visit our offices for a consultation, our dentists can recommend one of the four different types of dental bridges that we have in our offices. Traditional Dental BridgesThese consist of false teeth, which are anchored in place using dental crowns that are cemented onto the adjacent abutment teeth. Many of our patients prefer traditional dental bridges, especially the patients who have natural teeth that can be used as an abutment. Maryland Dental BridgesAlthough the Maryland dental bridges resemble the traditional dental bridges, they require two natural teeth as abutments, each on the side of the gap. Whereas traditional bridges require dental crowns to be fixed on an abutment tooth, Maryland dental bridges require a framework, made of porcelain or metal, which is then cemented on the back of the abutment tooth. Just like traditional dental bridges, you can only get Maryland dental bridges if you have natural teeth on each side of the missing tooth or teeth's gap. Cantilever Dental BridgesA cantilever dental bridge resembles a traditional dental bridge. However, the pontic in this type of dental bridge is anchored in place using a dental crown, which is fixed to a single abutment tooth. Most of the patients who choose cantilever dental bridges need to have only one natural tooth adjacent to the gap of the missing tooth. Implant-Supported Dental BridgesJust like its name suggests, an implant-supported dental bridge requires dental implants, unlike frameworks or crowns. Generally, our dentists place an implant for each missing tooth, which is used to hold the dental bridge in position. In case our dentists are not able to fix an implant for each missing tooth, your bridge can have a suspended pontic, between two implant-supported dental crowns. If you have a missing tooth or teeth, contact Harper Dental at (479) 431-0280 to discuss the different treatment options available for you. Our experts will be more than willing to discuss the benefits of dental bridges, as every detail you need to know to make the procedure successful. |
