Whenever you cruise across a bridge over the water, you’re being supported by the same engineering principles that hold a dental bridge. Critical stabilization on each side helps bear the load year after year. Teeth on either side of a space support a replacement tooth engineered from durable materials and glued into place. While this often serves for many years, the load-bearing teeth may deteriorate after thousands of chewing cycles. In some cases, this leads to more missing teeth.
A Better Bridge
In many cases, adding dental implants offers a better alternative, eliminating stress from the chewing system. When carefully placed in the bone of empty spaces, implants mimic the roots of teeth. They bear the load that the natural teeth used to, sparing the neighboring teeth from excessive forces. In some cases, two implants may be used to build a bridge spanning from one solid titanium piece to another.
Although the planning becomes more complicated with larger spaces, Dr. Pollard knows how to bring the puzzle pieces together to fit any scenario. Regardless of the scope of your treatment, the steps are similar to deliver a functional, brilliant smile.