It goes without saying that the list of factors that negatively impact our smile is forever expanding. From oral cancer to physical accidents and everything in-between, it can be grueling to keep up and ensure the protection of our grins. While this is true, however, the biggest threat to nearly everyone’s smile involves the dangers of dental decay. In today’s blog, your Prairie Village, KS prosthodontist takes a look at times in which decay can result in losing several adjacent structures, and how a dental bridge might be the solution.
How Decay Causes Loss
Just like a number of other dental concerns, decay occurs when harmful oral bacteria target your oral structures and wreak havoc on your grin. Normally, proper brushing and flossing at home is enough to keep them at bay, but sometimes they nestle into the hard-to-access areas of the mouth where they essentially thrive protected. Here, they will feed off of the food particles and sugars that we consume, causing them to secrete harmful acids that actively break down our natural teeth.
Eventually, a small depression or hole known as a cavity will form. As time goes on, the decay will continue to spreader further and further into the inner workings of a tooth, targeting the dental pulp and nerves. If it progresses much past this extent, the tooth is often considered compromised and an extraction may be in order. In many circumstances, once a tooth has become lost to disease, the chances of surrounding teeth succumbing to the same fate increases drastically.
Functional Importance of Teeth
For many, a full and complete smile is indicative of a confident persona. What’s more, your structures work together to accomplish a variety of tasks, including speaking, eating, chewing, and biting. When as little as one structure becomes compromised or falls out, your entire oral function will become compromised. This is especially true in cases where you lose multiple adjacent teeth. In order to best address this concern, your dentist may recommend seeking a dental bridge restoration to help restore your bite.
Spanning the Gap
To remedy the problems that arise from missing structures, a fixed dental bridge can span the gap left behind. This restoration includes two or more custom porcelain crowns that are attached to one another, and can often be secured through bonding or implant retention. What’s more, they are highly-customizable solutions that can closely mimic the shape, texture, and even overall shade of your grin. With a near-seamless appearance, most will not even be able to tell that you are sporting a prosthetic.
Learn More Today
Contact Dr. Stuart Dexter, Prosthodontist in Prairie Village, KS by calling 913-362-8200 to learn more about this process or to schedule an appointment with our team today.