Bridges for Front vs. Back Teeth
If you are missing a few teeth, that can cause various problems that affect the look and function of your smile. Don’t fret: dental bridges are an effective solution for missing teeth, able to restore the appearance of your smile as well as your ability to bite and chew. Our Kansas City, MO dental care center has helped countless patients who are missing their front teeth as well as their back teeth thanks to dental bridges.
Dr. John P. Goodman and his team would like to consider some unique concerns dentists have when it comes to treating the loss of front teeth (incisors and canines) and the loss of back teeth (premolars and molars). A bridge must be custom crafted to address the unique role these types of teeth play in your mouth.
How Bridges Help When You’re Missing Front Teeth
When you’re missing your incisors or canines, biting can be quite difficult. Even soft produce like a banana or a peach can be challenging to eat if you’re missing your front teeth. Given the prominence of the front teeth when you smile, missing these teeth can also lead to major self-consciousness when you’re around others.
Designing Front Teeth Bridges
When crafting bridges for the front teeth, our primary focus is on the aesthetics of the bridge as well as the overall strength and effectiveness of the bridge once it’s in place. We want to make sure patients are able to bite, chew, and smile with total confidence, as if the front-teeth bridge was totally natural.
During the design process, we note dental records, previous x-rays taken, and our own expertise to determine an ideal bridge. The dental lab we partner with uses sturdy materials, and can optimize the patient’s bite by considering points of contact between teeth and the patient’s dental health needs.
How Bridges Help When You’re Missing Back Teeth
While a person is missing molars or premolars, chewing is far more difficult. Crunchy foods can pose a challenge, even healthy treats such as apples or carrots. If you’re unable to chew your food properly, it can lead to indigestion and generally not getting the most nutritional bang for your buck.
It’s much harder to see your molars and premolars, so there tend to be fewer aesthetic issues to consider when you’re missing back teeth. That said, patients may still feel self-conscious about their smile because of their tooth loss.
Designing Back Teeth Bridges
Designing back teeth bridges means a focus on function. These dental appliances need to be sturdy enough and strong enough to withstand the normal wear and tear of daily eating. You might be surprised to find out how much damage that can do, even to the most modern dental materials.
When the dental lab crafts these back-teeth bridges, it’s possible that the appliances will have metal teeth rather than porcelain or ceramic materials. The metal may be given an aesthetic coat, however, helping the bridge blend in seamlessly with the natural molars and premolars that remain.
Dental Implants for Bridges
We should note that dental implants can be used to support front and back dental bridges. These artificial tooth roots provide a level of stability that is comparable to natural tooth roots, which means a low risk of the appliance slipping out of place.
We can discuss your candidacy for dental bridges and implants during an in-office consultation at our practice.
Learn More About Dental Bridges
For more information about dental bridges and how they can restore your smile, be sure to contact an experienced cosmetic and restorative dentist. Dr. John P. Goodman and his team are here for you. You can reach our office by phone at (816) 842-8585.
