Why an Implant Bridge May Be the Right Choice for You [Video Inside]

It’s not uncommon for patients to be missing multiple teeth in a row. In fact, one of the leading causes of tooth loss is gum disease, which can spread throughout your mouth and affect nearby teeth. If you’re stuck with a big gap in your smile, you may find it harder to chew or even speak clearly. Fortunately, modern dentistry has ways to replace missing teeth and restore your smile! In general, the best way to replace multiple missing teeth in a row is with a dental bridge. But at Riviera Dental Care in Foley, AL, we may recommend using an implant bridge instead. For eligible patients, these restorations provide several benefits over traditional dental bridges. To learn if you’re a candidate for implant treatment, book a free consultation with us today.

What Is a Traditional Bridge?

A traditional dental bridge replaces one or more missing teeth.

Its design is simple, with replacement teeth (called pontics) in the middle and a dental crown at either end. These crowns cover the teeth next to the gap in your smile, using them to support the replacement teeth.

Crowns are tooth-shaped caps that cover the entire tooth. In general, we use crowns that look natural and blend in with your remaining teeth. However, to place a crown, we need to alter your healthy teeth by removing enamel from all sides. This process is irreversible, as your enamel will never grow back.

For patients who want to avoid altering healthy teeth permanently, we offer another solution.

What Is an Implant Bridge?

Implant-supported bridges don’t have dental crowns. Instead, they’re made up of several pontics fused together to look like a row of natural teeth. At the bottom of these pontics are openings called housings. These housings fit over dental implants, securing your dental bridge without needing to alter healthy teeth.

To place an implant bridge, we start with a free consultation. There, we will assess your jawbone and determine if you have enough bone structure to support dental implants. Because Riviera Dental Care offers mini dental implants, most patients in Foley are eligible for an implant bridge without trouble.

Then, we plan your treatment. We’ll design exactly where your implants should go in your jaw and create a surgical guide that helps us follow the plan. With mini implants, the process is quick and easy on your day of treatment. We’ll create small pilot holes in your jaw through your gums. Then, we gently insert the implant, and it will immediately begin to integrate with your bone.

Once your implants are secure enough, we’ll attach your bridge restoration, restoring your smile for years to come.

The Hidden Benefit of Implant Bridge Solutions

An implant bridge doesn’t just restore the surface of your smile. It also replaces the roots of your teeth!

Natural teeth have roots that embed in your jawbone, anchoring your smile in place. Every time you bite or chew, these roots then stimulate your jaw to keep it healthy and full. But after tooth loss, your jawbone will gradually lose bone over time.

As your jawbone deteriorates, you may notice issues like:

• Changes to your face shape
• Wrinkling around your mouth
• Sinking cheeks

But beyond that, a shrinking jawbone interferes with your ability to support dental implants. Implants need ample jawbone structure to secure, and those without enough bone are often ineligible for implant procedures.

At Riviera Dental Care, we offer mini dental implants as a smaller alternative to traditional implants. These titanium posts fit into smaller amounts of bone, making more patients eligible for treatment. Additionally, once your dental implants are in place, they act like artificial tooth roots!

Implant bridges fill the gap in your smile while stimulating your jaw to keep your smile healthy, happy, and full.

Fill the Gap in Your Smile at Riviera Dental Care in Foley, AL

If you’re missing multiple teeth in a row, we have tooth replacement solutions for you. At our office in Foley, AL, we offer both traditional and implant bridges. However, we may recommend using implants over traditional methods, as these restorations offer incredible benefits. With implant bridges, you can replace multiple missing teeth while also replacing your missing tooth roots to keep your jawbone healthy. To learn if you’re eligible for an implant bridge, book a free implant consultation with us!

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