How Dental Bridges are Beneficial to Your Overall Health

All Smiles • March 8, 2018


At All Smiles Dentistry , we think it’s really important that our patients understand that their oral health and overall health are greatly connected. One of the connections that we see is in the use of dental bridges. A dental bridge is a set of crowns that is used to literally bridge a space where one or more teeth are missing. By  learning more about bridges , you can quickly see how these dental appliances can not only improve your smile, but also your overall health.

How Do Bridges Work?

Missing teeth are an unfortunate reality for many people. In fact, the American College of Prosthodontists has found that more than  120 million Americans  are missing at least one tooth. Tooth loss occurs due to gum disease, decay, or trauma, and all of that can have a negative impact on your overall health.

A bridge can help to turn that around. The first step that your Lake Jackson dentist can do to start the procedure is to prepare the anchor teeth for the large dental crowns. These are the teeth on either side of the space where the missing tooth/teeth once were. The bridge procedure continues by getting an impression of the area where the bridge will sit.

This impression is later used to create the permanent bridge. While the bridge is being created, a temporary crown or bridge is placed on the area, which allows for chewing. When the permanent bridge is ready, it is permanently cemented onto the anchor teeth, greatly improving your overall health.

How Do Dental Bridges Improve Health?

There is no denying that a dental bridge can help to improve your smile, but there is also more to the story. Impaired chewing can lead to poor nutrition. A dental bridge can also help to maintain the shape of your face. When you are missing teeth, your jaw, over time, weakens. This might cause your appearance to change. Additionally, the other teeth in your mouth start to shift in order to close the new gap. This can cause the remaining teeth to become weaker and crooked. It also can open these teeth up to more exposure to bacteria.

These bacteria can then enter into your bloodstream, which can cause other health problems. By covering the space with a dental bridge and keeping the anchor teeth in place, none of this would happen.

If you are missing a tooth and want to talk to a dentist in Lake Jackson, TX about a dental bridge, we would love to hear from you. You can contact the All Smiles team at your convenience or  make an appointment online.

 

Image Credit: Antonio Guillem/Shutterstock

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