Implant Bridges
Dental bridges are natural looking tooth replacements that help maintain facial structure, reduce stress on the jaw and fill in the gaps caused by missing teeth. Bridges are used to replace one or more missing teeth and rely on surrounding healthy teeth for support. This causes damage to healthy teeth and may lead to future tooth loss.
An implant bridge attaches artificial teeth directly to the jaw or under the gum tissue. Implant bridges provide strong, natural looking replacements and rely on implants in the jawbone for each missing tooth. The crowns for each tooth are connected to form one piece.
Benefits of an Implant Bridge
Implant bridges provide the comfort and support of a traditional bridge without any damaging side effects. The benefit of using implants is that they do not rely on neighboring teeth for support and they are permanent and stable. Implant Bridges can be used to:
- Restore a smile
- Reduce the risk of gum disease
- Restore the ability to bite and chew
- Improve speech
- Prevent remaining teeth from drifting out of position
The Implant Bridge Procedure
The bridge implant process may take place over several months and usually involve several steps. First, implants are precisely placed into the jaw bone to mirror the location of the roots of the missing natural teeth. After appropriate healing time has taken place and the implant is fused within the bone, impressions of the teeth and bite are taken to custom fabricate a connector post or abutment, and bridge. In the final step, the abutment and bridge are attached to the implant to complete the process.
Some patients may experience minor soreness after the dental implant procedure which can be treated with over the counter ibuprofen medication.
Implant Bridge Results
Patients receive all the benefits of natural teeth with their implant bridges. It is important to continue good oral hygiene with the implants, to prevent bacteria build-up which can cause gum disease or bone loss. Implant bridges offer a strong, permanent solution to restore a natural smile.
Additional Resources
- Medline Plus
- National Institutes of Health
- National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
- U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
- U.S. National Library of Medicine
- WebMD