The danger of unresolved gaps in your smile and how a dental bridge can help avoid future health risk
If you have lost one or more teeth you are at risk for long term oral health issues. Due to the gaps created by missing teeth, you could face newly created gaps in your smile due to shifting teeth, loosening teeth or even deterioration of jawbone tissue where the missing teeth used to be. A quality dental bridge, offered by Dr. Chase Patton, provides the support needed to prevent these issues from occurring.
Dental Bridge – What Is It?
A dental bridge is a fixed appliance that is inserted into the mouth to fill the gap where teeth used to be. The bridge is affixed to what are called abutment teeth. These abutment teeth are the teeth on each side of the gap which will play the role of anchor for the dental bridge. The dental bridge is affixed to these abutment teeth and a crown applied over them to hold the bridge in place. Artificial “pontic teeth” are placed onto the bridge before it is placed in the gap. When completed, you will have what appears to be a completely full and natural set of teeth.
Reasons for A Dental Bridge
Gaps in your smile due to missing teeth, no matter the size of the gap, can cause problems. The following scenarios can be avoided by receiving a dental bridge.
- Teeth adjacent to the gap can begin to loosen, causing them to shift from their original position
- In children, any teeth which have loosened could cause issues with the eruption of their permanent teeth such as the teeth surfacing improperly
- Since the supporting jawbone where the teeth used to be are not receiving proper stimulation, the bone can begin to deteriorate
- Movement in teeth due to shifting (because of unresolved gaps) can create issues in the jaw including the ability to properly speak and/or chew
In addition to these issues, some long-term health issues such as headaches or earaches can occur due to a lack in dental support. It is especially important to replace missing teeth as early as possible to avoid future health problems. If you are interested in learning more about dental bridge work, please call Dr. Chase Patton at (573) 875-7040 today for an appointment.