Pros and Cons of Dental Bridges

When you have a missing tooth, or a series of teeth missing, you have to face problems on a daily basis. Chewing, talking, and even smiling becomes difficult. But the good news for people with missing teeth is that several affordable solutions are available. A dental bridge is one of the efficient ones that most family dentists recommend.

Dental bridges are prosthetic devices that comprise an abutment or artificial tooth that fills the gap. Bridges also have anchoring crowns that fit over the adjacent, healthy teeth. Let us now take a closer look at dental bridges and understand it’s pros and cons.

Pros of Dental Bridges

Quick and Simple Procedure

It is true that the procedure of dental bridges is faster than other solutions for replacing a missing tooth. The procedure gets completed in mere two dental visits. And the best part about dental bridges is that its procedure is a simple and non-painful one that doesn’t require any surgery or incision.

Affordable Option

Dental bridges are economical as compared to other procedures such as dental implants. As the bridges are fixed in your mouth for a long time, they don’t require any additional maintenance. This means that the initial cost as well the cost of maintenance, both are low. This makes dental bridges an affordable option.

Durable Option

If maintained properly, dental bridges can last for 10-15 years. And if you opt for metallic or metal-infused porcelain bridges, they tend to last even longer.

Effortless Maintenance

Maintaining and cleaning dental bridges don’t require any additional efforts. Bridges are fixed in your mouth which means you don’t have to remove them while eating or brushing. You can treat the bridgework like your natural teeth. You can brush and floss dental bridges freely just like you clean your original teeth.

Blends Seamlessly

When you opt for porcelain or composite dental bridges, they mimic the natural appearance of your teeth. Your dentist will select the right shade of material so that the bridges blend seamlessly with your natural smile.

Cons of Dental Bridges

Invades Natural Teeth

In order to anchor the bridges in place, crowns are fitted on the adjacent teeth. These healthy teeth have to be filed and reshaped so that crowns can rightly fit on them.

Teeth Sensitivity

While filing and reshaping adjacent teeth to fit bridges on them, the outer layer of teeth (enamel) is damaged and depleted. Although crowns cover these teeth, many people still suffer sensitivity in these teeth.

Rare Nerve Damage

In very rare cases, the underlying nerves are damaged during or after the process of dental bridges. Bridges can become loose and cause problems in anchoring teeth, which also leads to damaged nerves.

If you have been adjusting with gaps due to missing tooth in your mouth, it’s time to put a full stop to your agony. Visit a family dentist today and find out if dental bridges is an option for you to replace your missing tooth or teeth.