When you are missing teeth, the Charleston, SC dentist office of Dr. R. Edward Hudgens is here to help you restore your smile. We offer several tooth replacement options, including dental bridges. Dental bridges allow patients to replace one or more consecutive teeth to restore the functionality of their smiles. Our dental practice is a team of dental professionals committed to providing quality dental care and an exceptional patient experience.
Learn more about dental bridges below.
Dr. Hudgens is an experienced restorative dentist in Charleston, SC. He provides tooth replacement options to patients missing one or more missing teeth. Dental bridges are an efficient and cost-effective approach to tooth replacement. Utilizing the support of your surrounding teeth, a dental bridge holds a prosthetic tooth in place of a missing tooth. Caring for your dental bridge is important to ensure that it lasts many years. Patients should take extra care during their oral hygiene routines to brush and floss around the bridge to dislodge any food residue from its hardware.
When missing teeth, you often need to choose between dental bridges or implants. While both methods will effectively replace your missing tooth, these two options are very different. While dental bridges have hardware that is fully external, therefore, more likely to experience damage, dental implants conceal all of their hardware beneath your soft tissues. However, dental implants require a surgical procedure, while dental bridges do not.
The first step of receiving a dental implant is to insert a titanium post beneath your soft tissues surgically. As it heals, the post will fuse with your jawbone and give your restoration tooth-root functionality. Talk to Dr. Hudgens about the short & long-term benefits of both tooth replacement options before deciding which option is right for you.
Traditional bridges are usually removable. We prepare a tooth on each side of the dental bridge to anchor the bridge. Some tooth structure is removed, so the bridge fits over those anchor teeth. Because of this, the anchor teeth are more susceptible to tooth decay and infection. We’ll teach you the best way to clean your dental bridge properly. Your jawbone continues to deteriorate in the areas where the teeth are missing. Because of this, your bridge may need to be adjusted or replaced multiple times over its lifetime.
Dental implants and a dental bridge can be combined for another solution. Instead of using your natural teeth to support the bridge, a dental implant supports each side. You get the benefits of dental implants while also getting the convenience of replacing multiple missing teeth with a bridge. Your jawbone won’t deteriorate, and you shouldn’t have to get your restoration replaced or readjusted throughout its lifetime.
An implant-supported bridge gives you the benefits of things like 100% of your bite function returned and not having to worry about your restoration slipping or falling out. It’s easier to take care of, and you just have to brush or floss like you normally would. We teach you to floss around the dental bridge if necessary.
Schedule An Appointment
Are you missing teeth? Do you want to learn more about your tooth replacement options? Schedule an appointment with the Charleston, SC dentist office of Dr. R. Edward Hudgens. We look forward to helping you restore your smile.