What Is a Dental Bridge?

A dental bridge is a cost-effective treatment option to replace missing teeth.
The most common type of bridge is a three-unit bridge. It consists of three components fused together – two abutment crowns and a pontic (fake tooth). The abutment crowns fit over the teeth adjacent to your missing tooth, while the pontic fits into the empty space.
There are different types of bridges to fit the various needs of a patient. Your Tampa dentist will recommend the best option for your needs.
The Benefits of Dental Bridges in Tampa
One of the main reasons to invest in a dental bridge is because it can restore your smile by replacing a missing tooth (or teeth).
A dental bridge can serve another important purpose – it can prevent the teeth adjacent to the missing tooth from shifting.
Teeth naturally shift to fill in an empty space, but it can throw your whole bite off when this happens. When your teeth are out of alignment, it places excess pressure on certain teeth instead of promoting a balanced bite. The excess pressure can cause those teeth to chip, crack, and even fracture. In some cases, the crack or fracture is so severe that it can lead to the loss of a tooth.
Misalignment can also cause muscle tension and damage to the jaw joints, resulting in a painful condition called TMJ disorder.

