Dental Bridges

Brian A. Noonan, DDS

General Dentist & Comprehensive and Cosmetic Dentistry located in Ann Arbor, MI

Having a gap in your smile after losing a tooth to an injury or disease can affect the way you see yourself and the way you’re perceived by others. Brian A. Noonan, DDS, and his team at his private practice in Ann Arbor, Michigan, can design a custom fixed bridge or implant supported bridge to fill the gap in your teeth. To learn more about dental bridges and decide if a bridge is the right solution for you, call the office of Brian A. Noonan DDS or book an appointment online today.

734-769-7777

Dental Bridges Q & A

What are dental bridges?

Dental bridges are appliances that replace a missing tooth by anchoring onto other teeth and nearby structures for support. Unlike dental implants, they do not require surgery; and unlike partial dentures, they’re fixed so you cannot remove them at will.

Dr. Noonan and his team design the false tooth in your bridge to look identical to the original tooth. They will match the color of the ceramic material to your surrounding teeth to ensure that the bridge fits in among them.

Dental bridges keep your teeth from drifting into the new space that a missing tooth leaves. They also keep the forces of your bite evenly distributed, which helps prevent tooth pain and damage.

What type of dental bridge should I get?

Dr. Noonan and his team offer several types of bridges with a few key differences. They help you compare your options and choose the type that best suits your needs. Dr. Noonan might recommend:

Fixed bridges

Fixed bridges require more than one dental visit to place. Dr. Noonan first prepares the teeth on either side of the gap to hold crowns, which will hold your new false tooth in place. He will then make final adjustments and cement the crowns of the bridge to your teeth at a follow-up appointment.

Implant-supported bridges

Implant-supported bridges rely on dental implants for support instead of healthy teeth. Dental implants are metal posts that an oral surgeon embeds into your jawbone. With implant-supported bridges, Dr. Noonan does nothave to alter the structure of any of your healthy teeth.

How should I care for my dental bridge?

Dental bridges require a high level of care to keep them intact for as long as possible. To avoid tooth decay, gum disease, or a broken bridge, Dr. Noonan recommends you:

Follow a healthy diet
Limit sugary foods
Attend your regular exams and cleanings
Use floss, picks, or brushes to clean your teeth under the bridge
Brush your teeth thoroughly twice a day

If you take care of your bridges and the teeth supporting them, your bridges can last for a decade or longer. If your bridge breaks or has general damage from wear-and-tear, Dr. Noonan and his team can create and attach a new one for you with the original design.

To find out if you should replace your missing tooth with a dental bridge, call Brian A. Noonan DDS or reserve an appointment online today.

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