Dental BridgesIf you have a missing tooth or multiple missing teeth, you would probably love to find a solution that restores your smile to its previous glory. In addition to feeling proud of your smile once again, you can also benefit from replacing your missing teeth from a functional perspective. While the right option to replace your missing tooth or teeth is going to depend on a variety of factors, dental bridges are certainly one path to consider.

In this post, we’d like to quickly highlight some of the main benefits of dental bridges.

A Renewed Confidence

It’s hard to feel good about your smile when you are missing at least one tooth. As is the case with so many things, you will probably notice far more than other people. Others won’t – or at least shouldn’t – think any less of you because of a missing tooth or teeth. You will notice each time you look in the mirror, however, or see yourself smiling in a picture. To eliminate the self-conscious feelings that come along with missing teeth, turning to dental bridges is a great option.

You might not notice how much your confidence has been reduced by the missing tooth until you have it replaced. If that tooth has been missing for some time, you’ve probably gotten used to it and the feelings that come along with the situation. There is nothing wrong with living that way, of course, but you may find that the boost of confidence associated with replacing the tooth is a welcome feeling.

Performance Benefits

The aesthetic aspect of dental bridges1 is only part of the story. Those who decide to use a bridge to replace a missing tooth or multiple teeth may be as motivated by performance as anything else. Specifically, there are two performance benefits to think about with regard to bridges – your ability to chew, and your ability to speak clearly.

First, let’s talk about chewing. It’s something that is easy to take for granted when all of your teeth are healthy and in place. If you lose a tooth, however, or even if you just have some teeth which are not entirely healthy, chewing can be a chore. You may find that some of your favorite foods are no longer enjoyable because of the work required to chew them properly. With the addition of a dental bridge, you should experience improved chewing, and some of those foods you’ve given up might find their way back onto your plate.

The other half of this equation – your ability to speak – may be even more impactful on your life. Depending on which teeth you are missing, the ability to pronounce words clearly may be affected. It might be that your entire vocabulary suffers as a result, or it might be that just certain sounds give you trouble. Just as with the look of your smile, this is something that can become a self-confidence issue. It can also impact your professional life if you need to speak to people regularly as part of your job. With the missing teeth replaced with the help of a dental bridge, you should find that your speaking quickly returns to normal.

Keep It Simple

You have a busy life, and you might not be able to fit in a stream of endless dental visits to have your work completed. Or, you might not be comfortable with the kinds of work that need to be done for some dental treatments. With a dental bridge, you can avoid making a ton of visits, and you can steer clear of some of the procedures that make some patients uncomfortable. In most cases, the installation of a dental bridge is a relatively simple process – and one which is often completed in just a couple visits.

One of the alternatives to dental bridges is dental implants, and those tend to require a longer period of time to complete (as there is a relatively lengthy recovery period). Of course, we also offer dental implants as a treatment that will be the best option for some patients, but you might not need to take that step. If a traditional dental bridge is going to work for your needs, you can enjoy the many benefits they provide without the drawbacks of more invasive procedures.

Impressive Durability

Even if the installation of a dental bridge is not a particularly invasive process, you still won’t want to have it repeated anytime soon. You have better things to do with your time, and better ways to spend your money. Fortunately, there is good news here on the matter of durability. A traditional fixed dental bridge will frequently be able to last for 10 years, if not even longer. That’s a long time to be able to forget about this oral health situation while just living your life as normal.

Of course, you can play a role in how long your dental bridge will last. It is important to engage in good oral hygiene habits, and it is also important to see your dentist for checkups. It would be a mistake to take the step of having a dental bridge put in place only to fail to care for it properly as the years go by. Just a little bit of care on a regular basis should be enough to keep it in good condition over the long haul.

Now that you are a little more familiar with the many benefits of dental bridges, you might be ready to explore this treatment to improve your own oral health. That journey can get started by simply placing a call to Lakeside Dental. Our team will be happy to schedule an appointment2 for you, so you can speak to the dentist in person regarding your situation. Whether or not dental bridges wind up being a good choice is yet to be seen, but at least you will get the information you need to make a smart decision. Thanks for stopping by and we hope to see you soon!

Resources

  1. https://www.lakesidedentalml.com/Crowns-And-Bridges
  2. https://www.lakesidedentalml.com/Contact