Missing teeth can affect not only your appearance but the function and health of your teeth and jaw, as well. The teeth adjacent to the missing tooth may start to drift or tilt into the space, and teeth in the opposing jaw may begin to shift toward the area of the missing tooth. In order to preserve your overall dental health, it’s important to replace the single missing tooth or multiple missing teeth. A common treatment that prevents shifting teeth and restores full function to a small missing section of teeth is a dental bridge.
A dental bridge replaces missing teeth with pontics, or artificial teeth. The pontics are supported on either end by prepared natural teeth. Once fabricated and fitted, a dental bridge will be permanently “fixed”, or cemented into place. Bridges can be made of porcelain or one of the many newer ceramic materials that have been developed.