5 Oral Health Benefits of Dental Bridges

While one of the most common reasons to want a dental bridge is to restore a smile damaged by a missing tooth or multiple teeth, bridges do far more than cover up imperfections. Having a dental bridge can actually benefit your oral health.  

At Margaret Culotta-Norton, DDS, PC, in Washington, DC, Dr. Margaret Culotta-Norton and Dr. Peter Grinc provide a variety of dental bridge options to help you keep your smile looking healthy and beautiful.  

Choosing your dental bridge 

We offer four different types of bridges to ensure your cosmetic and functional needs are met.  

Traditional bridge 

This simple dental bridge uses crowns affixed to the adjacent teeth to support a fabricated tooth replacement that looks just like your other teeth.

Maryland bridge 

This slightly more complex approach uses a metal framework to attach the fabricated tooth to the teeth on either side. It can only be used on healthy, strong teeth.

Cantilever bridge 

Having multiple missing teeth, especially in the back of your mouth, can make it hard to support a dental bridge.This type of bridge can be supported by just a single tooth on one side.

Implant supported dentures

When the number of teeth missing leaves few ways to support fabricated tooth replacements,  we can refer you to an oral surgeon to have dental implants placed in the bone of your jaw. Just a few implants can support up to an entire arch of teeth.

What dental bridges can do for your oral health

There are five important ways dental bridges can benefit your oral health. They:

1. Keep adjacent teeth from drifting

When a tooth is missing, adjacent teeth can drift into the empty gap, creating unsightly spacing. A bridge keeps those teeth in place.

2. Prevent additional tooth loss

A natural side effect of losing a tooth is bone loss in the jaw below. This bone loss can spread to each side, causing adjacent teeth to become loose and fall out. Bridges support adjacent teeth, and implants can prevent bone loss.

3. Make flossing more effective

When a tooth is missing, it’s difficult to follow the recommended flossing technique. A dental bridge and some patient education can help you get back on track with your flossing routine.

4. Encourage healthy lifestyle habits

When you get your new bridge, you won’t want to do anything to damage it or the vulnerable teeth around it. This can mean you start paying closer attention to what you eat, drink, smoke, and otherwise ingest, making your entire body healthier (including your mouth.)

5. Reduce conditions leading to oral pain

An empty socket where a tooth used to be can be a magnet for bacteria and infection. A dental bridge helps create a more natural structure inside your mouth, providing protection for your oral health.

Think you’re ready to discuss a dental bridge? To schedule an appointment, call 202-833-1111 or visit the contact page for more information.