The Mechanics of Dental Bridges
Dental bridges are essentially several crowns joined together to form a single, continuous piece. The crowns positioned at the ends—known as abutments—cap the natural teeth sitting on either side of the gap. Between these anchor crowns sit one or more replacement teeth called pontics, which occupy the space your missing teeth once filled. This complete structure becomes a permanent, fixed element of your dental anatomy.
Dr. Connor or Dr. Prouty reshapes the teeth flanking your gap to accommodate the bridge, using the same preparation technique they’d use for a standard crown. These supporting teeth must possess sufficient strength and structure to bear the bridge’s weight over the long term. Following preparation, your dentist creates precise impressions that a specialized dental laboratory uses to construct your custom bridge, carefully matching it to your natural teeth in shade, form, and dimensions.
During the fabrication period, you’ll wear a temporary bridge that safeguards your prepared teeth and maintains your appearance. Custom bridge creation typically requires two to three weeks. When your permanent bridge arrives, you return for the final placement appointment. Dr. Prouty or Dr. Connor thoroughly examines the fit, makes any necessary bite adjustments, and secures the bridge permanently with durable dental cement.
Exploring Your Bridge Options
Several bridge designs exist, and choosing the right one depends on your unique circumstances—including how many consecutive teeth you’ve lost, where those teeth were located, and whether your adjacent teeth are healthy enough to serve as anchors. Here’s what Dr. Connor and Dr. Prouty can offer:
Traditional Bridges
- Most commonly selected option that performs well when healthy teeth border both sides of your gap
- Offer superior stability and routinely last 10-15 years or beyond with appropriate maintenance
- Having two anchor points provides sufficient strength for replacing molars that handle intense chewing forces
Cantilever Bridges
- Fasten to teeth on only one side of the empty space
- Function when just one neighboring tooth is available for structural support
- Not recommended for locations that bear heavy chewing loads
- Dr. Connor and Dr. Prouty analyze whether this configuration suits your circumstances
Maryland Bridges
- Also referred to as resin-bonded bridges
- Utilize a metal or ceramic framework attached to the rear surfaces of adjacent teeth rather than encasing them entirely in crowns
- Maintain more original tooth structure but provide less durability than traditional bridges
- Perform optimally for front teeth where biting forces remain minimal
Implant-Supported Bridges
- Anchor to dental implants instead of relying on natural teeth
- Excellent choice when you’re missing several consecutive teeth and the neighboring natural teeth aren’t optimal anchor candidates
- Supply outstanding stability without burdening your remaining natural teeth
Why Patients Choose Bridges
Bridges provide permanence that removable partial dentures can’t achieve. You never take them out for cleaning, they don’t shift while eating or talking, and messy adhesives aren’t part of your routine. Once your bridge sits in position, it functions identically to natural teeth—you brush and floss around it using your standard oral hygiene habits, though you’ll employ special floss threaders to clean beneath the pontic teeth.
Getting bridges in Sioux Falls typically proceeds faster than dental implant treatment, which demands several months while the implant integrates with your jawbone tissue. If you want your gap addressed relatively quickly, bridges deliver a more expedient solution. They also involve lower upfront costs compared to implants, making them financially feasible for more patients.
Bridges halt the tooth movement that occurs naturally when gaps exist in your dental arch. Teeth instinctively migrate toward empty spaces, potentially creating bite problems, TMJ disorders, and complicating future restorative work. A bridge preserves correct spacing and anchors your remaining teeth in their proper positions.
Assessing Your Suitability
You’re likely an appropriate candidate if you’ve lost one to three adjacent teeth and possess healthy teeth on at least one side of that gap. Those anchor teeth need substantial structure, robust roots, and disease-free gums to sustain the bridge over many years. Dr. Prouty and Dr. Connor evaluate these critical factors during your comprehensive examination.
Active gum disease must be controlled before bridge placement can happen. Ongoing periodontal disease undermines the stability of anchor teeth and elevates the risk of bridge failure. If you’re currently dealing with gum disease, achieving gum health becomes the priority, with bridge placement scheduled once your gums have returned to a stable, healthy state.
Individuals who grind or clench their teeth can still be bridge candidates, but they’ll require a custom nightguard to protect both the bridge and their natural teeth from damaging forces. Grinding exerts tremendous pressure that degrades bridges progressively, so addressing this habit safeguards your restoration investment.
Bridges in Sioux Falls
Missing teeth affect far more than just appearance—they alter your bite mechanics, undermine your confidence, and trigger oral health problems that worsen progressively over time. Schedule a consultation at Infinity Sedation Dentistry in Sioux Falls, Watertown, or Dakota Dunes to determine if a dental bridge is the right solution for your needs. Dr. Brian Prouty and Dr. Kevin Connor will conduct a thorough examination, discuss all available options with you honestly, and design a treatment plan that rebuilds your smile and restores full function. That gap in your smile doesn’t have to be permanent—let’s explore filling it with a bridge that looks authentic and provides years of dependable service.