Implant-Supported Bridges
If you’ve lost more than one tooth, the implant-supported bridge is a secure, permanent replacement solution. Addressing the issue of missing or decayed teeth is vital to maintaining long-term oral health. The absence of a tooth can trigger more problems than a mere gap in your smile. It can result in the remaining teeth moving around the gap, altering your smile’s alignment and potentially affecting your facial aesthetics.
The loss of teeth can also interfere with your ability to consume nutritious foods effectively. Other tooth replacement alternatives, like removable partial dentures, do not offer the stability of implant-supported bridges. An implant bridge can restore most of your chewing function, allowing you to enjoy your favorite foods again.
What Is an Implant-Supported Bridge?
A conventional dental bridge can alleviate most issues related to tooth loss, but an implant-supported bridge offers several benefits. Traditional bridges depend on surrounding teeth for support, necessitating the reshaping of these otherwise healthy teeth before securing the bridge with dental cement. An implant-supported bridge, on the other hand, requires no grinding down of healthy teeth for the replacement of a missing tooth.
How Many Implants Are Used?
An implant-supported bridge is a multiple tooth replacement solution that is permanently attached to dental implants. The number of implants used to support the bridge can vary based on the patient’s specific needs, but it’s common to see a setup of two implants supporting three teeth: two “cap” teeth on the ends with another tooth bridging them in the middle.
Dental implants can help prevent the progression of bone loss that typically occurs after tooth extraction. When a tooth is lost, the jaw bone no longer receives the pressure sensations from your bite that stimulate bone regeneration. This leads to bone resorption and shrinkage of the jawbone in the area. With an implant-supported bridge, the implants help simulate the force of your bite, keeping your bone stimulated. While some bone resorption may occur under the middle of the bridge, it’s less severe than the bone loss associated with a removable bridge or no bridge at all.
Although an implant-supported bridge is more cost-effective than replacing each missing tooth with an individual implant and crown, it tends to be more expensive than most removable options due to the surgical procedures involved. The choice of treatment for replacing missing teeth depends on your unique health and financial circumstances. We’re always ready to discuss all available options with you.
Procedure Overview
The procedure for getting an implant-supported bridge involves multiple appointments:
- The initial step involves the placement of dental implants.
- After the implants are placed, the surrounding bone and gums typically take several months to heal.
- Once the implant sites are healed, your dentist will take impressions of your mouth to create a mold.
- Using this model of your teeth, a lab technician will craft your custom crown, color-matching it to your existing teeth.
- While the lab technician is preparing the final bridge, you may be fitted with a temporary bridge.
- Once the final bridge is ready, your dentist will secure it onto the implants either by screwing or cementing it in place.