Dental Bridge: 5 Steps to a Whole & Healthy Smile

Multiple tooth loss is a big deal as it impacts how you look, feel, act, eat and more! The sooner you restore your smile, the sooner you can get back to normal living. At Main Line Dental Health & Wellness, we recommend replacing lost teeth with a bridge to make your smile whole and healthy again. If you live in Bryn Mawr or Ardmore, Pennsylvania, you can come to our dental clinic for this treatment.     

Getting a bridge is a process that can take several dental visits. Below, Dr. Naila Bryan reviews the steps for dental bridge treatment, so you’ll know what to expect:

Step 1 – Consultation 

A traditional fixed bridge is composed of artificial teeth and dental crowns, which are placed on neighboring healthy teeth for support. Your first visit will be a consultation to evaluate your condition and determine if a bridge is the best restorative treatment for you. If so, we’ll discuss your options for bridge treatment, answer any questions you may have and plan your procedure. 

Step 2 – Preparing Abutment Teeth 

As your bridge will be anchored by dental crowns, the next step is prepping your abutment teeth, which are the teeth on either side of the gap, to receive crowns. This entails reshaping or modifying the structure of these teeth to accommodate a crown.   

Step 3 – Impressions & Fabrication of Your Bridge 

When the abutment teeth are prepped, we’ll take imprints of your mouth to use as blueprints for creating your bridge. These impressions will be sent to a lab where a bridge will be custom-crafted just for you. Customizing your restoration will ensure a comfortable and accurate fit, so your bridge will work properly for biting and chewing. In the meantime, we can put a temporary bridge in place to protect your gums and modified teeth.  

Step 4 – Placing Your Bridge 

When your custom bridge is ready, we’ll remove the temporary bridge and put your permanent bridge in place. We’ll check the fitting, alignment and bite of your new teeth to ensure they look, feel and function as they should. Then we’ll bond your bridge to your abutment teeth permanently to finalize your procedure.  

Step 5 – Follow-Up Visits & Routine Care  

Traditional bridges are fixed restorations that look and function like real teeth. Once in place, they become a permanent part of your smile and are cared for like natural teeth. Good oral hygiene will keep your bridge in good shape for years. Our team will inspect your bridge periodically during routine checkups. We’ll also schedule biannual dental cleanings to keep your new smile at its best long-term.   

Dental Bridge Treatment Near Me

To learn more about getting a bridge for your teeth, contact us at (610) 947-5566 or visit our dental clinic. For your convenience, we serve residents in Ardmore and neighboring communities as well.

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