Regain your complete smile with dental bridges that replace teeth and span the gaps
Everyone, regardless of age and financial circumstances, deserves to have a healthy smile. Depending on the condition of your teeth and gums, your mouth can either help or hinder your self-confidence, nutrition, productivity, mood, sleep, and on and on and on … One of the biggest hits that our oral health and smiles can take is tooth loss. But gaps in your smile due to missing teeth do not have to be in your future.
Los Alamitos Dental Care partners with patients from across our corner of Orange County, California, to protect the health, function, and beauty of their teeth. Bridges and other forms of tooth replacement are also discussed promptly. If we cannot preserve a tooth with techniques such as root canal therapy, one of our six dentists can restore the natural chewing function and the appearance of your smile. Today’s tooth replacement also does a great job of replicating the aesthetics and durability of the natural tooth structure. We can rebuild teeth with dental materials that are indistinguishable from healthy teeth.
Dental Bridges: Rebuild Your Smile With Confidence
Rebuild your smile after tooth loss by scheduling a dental bridge consultation with Drs. John Wallace, Michael Zell, Josh Winer, Kerry Hahn, or Jake Sylwanowicz at Los Alamitos Dental Care in Los Alamitos, California, and discover which fixed tooth-replacement option fits your oral health and everyday needs.
Replace one or more missing teeth with a fixed restoration
Restore chewing ability and everyday oral function
Help maintain the alignment of surrounding teeth
Explore bridge options based on your oral health and needs
Minding the gap – between your teeth!
Dental bridges are generally appropriate for patients who have lost one tooth or some teeth. They may also be the right choice for individuals holding on to aching teeth. Not all severely decayed or deeply infected teeth are good candidates for endodontic procedures, such as root canal treatment. In these cases, dental extraction or the removal of the affected tooth may be the only option to resolve pain and prevent further oral and systemic complications associated with infected teeth.
If a dental bridge is best for you, we must first “prepare” the neighboring teeth on either side of your gap. Preparation involves reducing the tooth and reshaping it. We need to take this step, because the adjacent teeth must be crowned. All dental crowns require the removal of some natural tooth structure. Then, the crowns fit securely and properly over the teeth.
After these neighbors have been prepared, we design the dental crown. We gather lots of information about your mouth that can be used to fabricate the bridge. For patients who need to replace one tooth, a single pontic (replacement tooth) is sandwiched between the two dental crowns. The crowns and pontic are then fused together. Once the bridge is made, patients return to our office in Los Alamitos, California, so that the bridge can be fixed in place. Once the crowns are bonded to the abutment teeth, the pontic fills in the gap and replaces the lost tooth. The adjacent crowned teeth anchor or hold the pontic in place.
Dental bridges have been around for a long time as a type of tooth replacement. They are a “fixed” option. They can last for many years as long as you care for the bridge properly. We can discuss products and techniques to clean underneath the bridge effectively. This area can trap bacteria, food particles, and plaque. These substances can threaten the structure and health of the dental bridge, including the natural crowned teeth.
Frequently Asked Questions About Dental Bridges
What is a dental bridge?
A dental bridge replaces one or more missing teeth with artificial teeth held securely by neighboring natural teeth or dental implants. By filling the open space, the restoration improves chewing, supports clearer speech, completes the smile, and helps surrounding teeth remain in their proper positions.
What are the main types of available dental bridges?
Our traditional bridges use dental crowns on the teeth on both sides of the gap, while our cantilever bridges receive support from one side. Maryland bridges bond to the backs of neighboring teeth, and implant-supported bridges rely on dental implants rather than natural teeth for stability.
Who qualifies for a dental bridge?
An ideal candidate has one or several absent teeth, healthy gums, and robust supporting teeth or sufficient bone for implants. A comprehensive examination helps your dentist assess the gap, bite, bone, neighboring teeth, and overall oral health before recommending a particular bridge design.
How does a traditional bridge stay in place?
Our dentist prepares the teeth adjacent to the gap for crowns, and those crowns connect to the replacement tooth between them as a single unified restoration. Dental cement holds the finished bridge firmly in place, providing dependable support that does not require removal during meals or at night.
What materials are used to make bridges?
Dental bridges often feature porcelain, zirconia, ceramic, metal, or a combination of materials, selected based on location, appearance, strength, and bite pressure. Drs. John Wallace, Michael Zell, Josh Winer, Kerry Hahn, and Jake Sylwanowicz consider these factors when planning a natural-looking, durable restoration.
What happens during the bridge procedure?
After preparing the supporting teeth, one of our dentists takes detailed impressions or digital scans and places a temporary bridge that protects the area. A dental laboratory creates the final restoration, which your dentist checks for an accurate fit, a comfortable bite, an attractive color, and smooth contours before placement.
Does getting a dental bridge hurt?
Local anesthesia keeps the supporting teeth and nearby tissues comfortable during preparation, so patients generally notice pressure and vibration rather than pain. Mild gum tenderness or tooth sensitivity sometimes follows the appointment, but these temporary sensations usually settle as the mouth adjusts.
How long does a dental bridge last?
A properly maintained bridge often lasts many years, although its lifespan depends on the restoration material, bite forces, home care, diet, and health of the supporting teeth. Teeth grinding, chewing ice, gum disease, and decay around the crowns increase the risk of early damage.
How do I clean underneath a bridge?
Brush the bridge and gumline thoroughly, then guide the floss under the replacement tooth with a floss threader, or use an interdental brush or water flosser as recommended. Daily cleaning removes trapped plaque and food debris, protecting the gums and supporting teeth against inflammation and decay.
What signs indicate that a bridge needs attention?
Schedule an evaluation if your bridge feels loose, traps food, develops a chip, causes discomfort, or changes how your teeth meet. Swollen, bleeding gums, persistent bad breath, and sensitivity around a supporting tooth also signal a problem that warrants timely professional care.
Start the process today! Call (562) 539-0011 to schedule your appointment at Los Alamitos Dental Care. During your consultation, one of our dentists may also discuss “modern” bridges. These bridges are supported by dental implants positioned and embedded in the jawbone. They present a conservative and long-lasting alternative to conventional bridges.
