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Writer's pictureOcean Breeze Dental Care

Bridge the gap between missing teeth to regain your beautiful smile

Dr. Travis Lee at Ocean Breeze Dental Care in West Los Angeles has over 20-years experience in dental restorations to restore his patients’ oral health, beautiful smile & confidence. A dental bridge is custom-made replacement teeth that is anchored on either side by implants (implant-supported bridge) or natural teeth (tooth-supported bridge) to fill the space created between a missing tooth or teeth. Commonly made of composite resin or porcelain fused to metal to match the look of your natural teeth (although gold and alloys are options), dental bridges are an effective & permanent dental restoration option that does not involve surgery and are affordable & less time-consuming than dental implants.

Please contact our knowledgeable & compassionate dental professionals serving the community of West Los Angeles to determine which dental restoration option is best for replacing your missing teeth.

Is it painful to get dental bridges?

Dental bridge does not require a surgery so it is relatively painless. Numbing agent or local anesthesia is administered to allow patients to comfortably experience the procedure. For patients with dental anxiety, sedation dentistry is offered at Ocean Breeze Dental Care to help patients relax and comfortably undergo treatment pain-free.


What is the process to get a dental bridge?

First, Dr. Lee prepares the anchors that will support the bridge by recontouring these teeth to allow room for a crown to be placed over them. Next, he will create impressions of the teeth which will be used to create the bridge (i.e. replacement tooth or teeth) and crowns. A temporary bridge will be made so that you can wear it to protect the exposed teeth and gums while the bridge is being made by a dental lab.


During a return visit, Dr. Lee will remove the temporary bridge, check & adjust your permanent bridge for proper fit & bite. Individual cases will vary on how many return visits are required to check the fit & bite of the bridge.


Traditional Bridge

Most common and popular type of bridge is the traditional bridge. Commonly made of composite resin or porcelain fused to metal to match the natural look & color of the natural teeth, traditional bridges are recommended for patients with healthy natural teeth that can be crowned and anchor the dental bridge.


Traditional bridges are strong enough to replace molars. To put dental crowns on your natural teeth to serve as anchors, however, a small amount of enamel is removed to make room for the crowns to top. The downside to traditional bridges is that the process of removing enamel is irreversible and enamel does not grow back. Therefore, these teeth always need to be protected with crowns even if a different type of bridge is placed later on.


Cantilever Bridge

When there is only one tooth adjacent to a missing tooth or teeth, a cantilever bridge may be used. Since only one tooth serves as an anchor to secure the bridge, Dr. Lee does not recommend cantilever bridge for restoring missing teeth in the back of the mouth where it can be subject to too much force and have a higher chance of damage to the crowned tooth or the bridge.


Resin-bonded bridge (a.k.a. Maryland bonded bridges)

Dr. Lee recommends Resin-bonded bridges for restoring missing teeth in the front of the mouth. Resin bonds the bridge to the natural teeth so no enamel is removed from them to place crowns on top. Made of porcelain, porcelain fused to metal or plastic, Maryland bonded bridges are replacement teeth that are supported by a metal or porcelain framework that is bonded to existing teeth. While resin-bonded bridge is a simpler and more affordable dental bridge option, it is less durable than traditional bridges.


Implant-supported bridges

Implant-supported bridge is similar to other dental bridges in its function to restore missing teeth with replacement teeth but instead of being anchored by natural teeth, they are supported by dental implants. Dr. Lee recommends implant-supported bridges when there is a higher likelihood that individual implants that are not connected will get too much pressure. A series of dental implants for every missing tooth can anchor the bridge or a pontic (or replacement) tooth may be used to fill the gap between two implant-supported crowns. An effective & secure dental bridge option, implant-supported bridges will last longer than a traditional bridge but is more costly & time-consuming as it requires surgery to set the dental implants.


Dental Bridge Care

Good oral care is essential for your natural and replacement teeth. Dental bridges require proper oral care and routine dental exam & professional cleaning. Please consult with the knowledgeable & compassionate dental professionals of our General & Cosmetic Dental Practice in West Los Angeles to learn more about dental bridge options and care. Stop hiding your brilliance because of your missing teeth. It’s time to welcome the world with your bright smile! Let us help you restore your missing teeth so that you can embrace the world with your beautiful smile.


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