Oman wellness: Filling the gaps with dental bridges

Nowadays a patient has a variety of options when it comes to restorative dental work. Did you know a dental bridge is designed to replace one tooth or multiple missing teeth in a row, to restore one’s smile while providing a durable, natural-looking result? A dental bridge is a common, affordable, time-tested and low-risk treatment for missing teeth. Virtually anyone who is missing one to three consecutive teeth is a candidate for a dental bridge. A bridge can impact a patient’s smile, oral health, and dental functionality for decades.

Losing a tooth can be traumatic for most people. A research showed almost half of people who lost teeth had difficulty in coming to terms with their loss. People are more likely to feel less confident about themselves and tend to be more self-conscious carrying out everyday activities. They also had problems accepting the accompanying change in facial shape. However dental bridges used for restoration can fix these problems very easily.

How does it work?
It begins by numbing the teeth and the surrounding gums to ensure your comfort. Then the teeth on each side of the gap are filed down to specific dimensions. This is followed by taking an extremely detailed impression of the teeth. Lastly, the dentist will discuss the desired colour of the dental bridge. This impression is then sent to the laboratory to prepare the final bridge. Once the final bridge is ready, the dentist will ensure the proper fit with an X-ray, your bite will be checked and might be adjusted if the bridge is too high. Once a patient is satisfied with the appearance, extremely adhesive cement is used to cement the dental bridge in place.

Dental bridges can restore your smile, give you the comfort to properly chew and speak, maintain the shape of your face, distribute the pressure in your bite properly by replacing missing teeth and lastly, prevent remaining teeth from drifting out of position. Additionally, dental bridges can last you anything from five to 15 years and maybe even longer. All you need is good oral hygiene and regular check-ups. Dental bridges can be made in many materials that include all-ceramic, porcelain-fused-to-metal or gold. This gives patients plenty of choices to best suit their requirements, preferences, and budget.

Bridges are customised to fit comfortably and are designed to match the colour of your natural teeth. Furthermore, maintenance is generally the same as with your natural teeth. It is good to know once a patient receives a bridge, the treatment will restore dental functionality. Additionally, thanks to new dental technology and aesthetic advances, today’s dental bridges are virtually indistinguishable from natural teeth.
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Dr Sheby Poulose is Specialist Dental Surgeon and Prosthodontist at Wassan Specialty Dental Centre