Dental Bridge - Is It Worth the Cost?
While a tooth could potentially last a lifetime, events such as injuries or extensive decay can cause you to lose one prematurely. Hence, a dental bridge is required.
Unfortunately, even a single missing tooth can damage your self-confidence and lead to other problems with your oral health. For this reason, dentists typically recommend replacing the missing tooth.
A dental bridge is one option that you might be offered to replace a lost tooth. While any type of tooth replacement comes with a cost, you can be reassured that choosing to have a bridge placed is well worth it when you receive these benefits.
Improve the Aesthetics of Your Smile with a Dental Bridge
Most of your teeth are visible when you smile. While you should never let a lost tooth destroy your self-confidence, the truth is that many people feel uncomfortable with a gap in their smile.
A dental bridge is always worth the cost if it causes you to feel more confident speaking with and smiling at other people. In fact, your dentist can help match the bridge to your other teeth so that it is virtually undetectable when you smile.
Prevent Your Other Teeth from Shifting
At first glance, a single missing tooth might seem like no big deal, especially if it is one of the back ones. However, each tooth in your mouth serves as a placeholder that stops the other teeth from moving around.
Once a tooth is lost, you may find that the other teeth begin to shift around to fill in the space. This can cause aesthetic issues such as crowding and crooked teeth, but you should also be aware that all of that shifting can create oral health issues such as a misaligned bite.
You may also find it harder to brush and floss if your teeth begin to crowd together. With a dental bridge, the rest of your teeth will stay exactly where they should.
Dental Bridge Protect Adjacent Teeth
Dental problems are often not confined to a single tooth. If you lost a tooth to decay or a fracture, then it is possible that the teeth on each side of it are also damaged.
Dental bridges work by attaching a crown to the teeth on both sides of the gap that help hold the replacement tooth in the proper position. When the adjacent teeth already need repair, the preparations made for the bridge can help restore their functioning and protect them from further damage.
Enjoy a Long Lasting Tooth Replacement
With many types of procedures, it helps to break the cost down according to how long you expect the treatment to last.
Dental bridges can vary in cost among dentists, but they tend to last longer than other types of tooth replacement options such as removable dentures. This is because your dental bridge is designed to last for many years with proper care.
While everyone’s experience is different, you can expect your bridge to last ten years or more if you practice good oral hygiene and see your dentist regularly. Once you consider the length of time that bridges last, the cost makes perfect sense.
Today, there are many different tooth replacement options that are available, and you should always work with your dentist to find the right one to fit your needs.
While having a bridge placed does come with an initial cost, the benefits are worth it when you can preserve your smile for many years to come.
Noble Dental Care is accepting new patients and would love to be your Tempe dentist. Call our office today for an appointment. We look forward to meeting you!