Dental bridges are quite common in dentistry and used as a partial denture that is fixed, meaning the person cannot take out the bridge as one does with dentures. It restores missing teeth by anchoring a false tooth to healthy teeth on either side of the missing tooth. The bridged tooth is matched to your bite mark and matches the color of your surrounding teeth so that it looks and feels completely natural.
Myth: Wearing a Bridge Is No Different from Wearing Dentures
Fact: The truth is that while the bridge is in fact a false tooth, there is no comparison between a bridge and dentures. Remember, dentures are often removed when the person sleeps and they have to be brushed and cleaned outside the mouth, while a bridge is something that is brushed just like any other tooth.
Myth: A Dental Bridge Is Another Name for a Crown
Fact: Crowns and bridges have nothing in common. A crown is placed over a tooth that has normally undergone a root canal, the remaining tooth is filed down, and a fitted tooth is cemented over the actual tooth. A bridge is an actual false tooth to fill spaces of missing teeth in the patient's mouth.
Myth: All Dental Procedures Should Be Avoided During Pregnancy
Fact: There is no scientific basis for delaying dental work, particularly bridgework wile pregnant. There is absolutely no risk to the unborn child in anyway.
Myth: Bridges Are Expensive And Known to Break or Fall out
Fact: Most bridges do remain in for a lifetime, but occasionally it can become loose and need tightening. It is very rare that a bridge would ever break, even if the patient is chewing jawbreakers.
Myth: A Bridge and an Implant Are the Same Thing
Fact: Implants are a newer way to fill gaps of missing teeth. The implant is made of titanium metal and the dentist drills a hole in the bone where the tooth is suppose to be. The implant is then screwed in, and normally a crown is placed over the implant.
Myth: Dental Insurance Will Never Cover the Cost of Bridges
Fact: There was a time when most dental insurance companies would not cover the cost of bridges because they were considered cosmetic. However, today dentists know that missing teeth can often lead to problems with the teeth around the missing ones. Because of this, most dental insurance companies offer some type of coverage for bridges.
Myth: Everyone Will Be Able to Tell I Have a Bridge
Fact: The only two people that will know you have a bridge are you and your dentist. Unless you tell people you have a bridge, no one will be able to visually tell it is not your tooth.
Fixing missing teeth is very important because the surrounding teeth attempt to compensate for the missing tooth and begin closing in around it, which in turn makes the teeth around the missing tooth crooked.
