Implant Bridge Solutions To Fill the Gap in Your Smile [Video Guide]

The longer you leave gaps in your smile, the more serious the effects of tooth loss. Over time, you may experience shifting teeth, difficulty chewing, and even severe jawbone loss in the area where you’re missing teeth. A dental bridge helps fill in the gap, “bridging” the spaces between teeth. But at Bivona Family Dental, we often recommend using an implant bridge, rather than a traditional dental bridge. Implant bridges help prevent bone loss while restoring your smile and maintaining your oral health!

What Is a Dental Bridge?

A dental bridge is a unit of artificial teeth, called pontics, that fill in the gaps of your smile.

While there are many different types of dental bridges, the most common is a traditional dental bridge. This structure has pontics bonded together to replace your missing teeth, and dental crowns at each end to provide support.

These crowns cover healthy teeth on either side of the gap in your smile, anchoring the bridge in place. However, crowning healthy teeth involves removing some of their enamel, which permanently alters them.

Additionally, traditional dental bridges don’t stop bone loss in your jaw, as they don’t replace the missing tooth roots that used to keep your jaw healthy. While these bridges do replace teeth, they allow your jawbone to continue to shrink.

What Is an Implant Bridge?

An implant bridge is similar to a traditional bridge, but without the dental crowns at each end. Instead, an implant bridge is a row of pontics, bonded together, with housings inside that fit over dental implants.

We place these titanium posts in your jawbone, replacing your natural tooth roots and stimulating your jaw to keep it healthy.

Over time, these implants will integrate with your bone, forming a stable connection. Using this connection as a strong foundation, we secure a dental bridge in place to restore multiple missing teeth!

One advantage of using an implant bridge is that patients like you can treat these pontics as natural teeth. Unlike a traditional bridge, which may fall out or come loose over time, an implant bridge is anchored in place and functions like natural teeth. You can eat all the foods you love without hesitation.

The Implant Bridge Process

The implant bridge process is simple at our office in Jasper, AL.

1. Free Consultation: At our office, every implant appointment starts with a free consultation. There, we will assess your smile and take a 3D digital X-ray of your jaw. Using detailed X-rays, we will assess your bone quality and determine if you have enough bone for implants. If not, we may be able to use bone grafting procedures to rebuild lost bone.
2. Implant Placement: At your procedural appointment, we’ll use a local anesthetic to numb the area. And, if necessary, we do have safe and effective sedation options available to patients. Once you’re comfortable, we will create an opening in your jaw and gently screw the implant into place. These implants will likely go at either end of the gap, providing support without requiring an implant for each missing tooth.
3. Temporary Restoration: Then, once your implant has had time to integrate, you’ll come back for a second appointment. There, we’ll attach abutments, or the connector pieces, to your implants. Abutments allow us to attach a temporary bridge to your implants, preserving the aesthetics of your smile while keeping it functional as you heal.
4. Final Bridge: Finally, once your implant is fully integrated, we will replace your temporary bridge with the final version. The bridge will be cemented to your implants, providing a strong, stable solution for patients with a gap in their smile.

The entire implant bridge process typically takes several months. However, using innovative L-PRF treatment, we may be able to accelerate your healing! This involves taking a small blood sample and extracting the healing agents. Then, by applying the healing matrix to your surgical site, your tissues may heal faster and with less post-operative discomfort.

Bridge the Gap in Your Smile With Dental Implants!

Tooth loss causes major problems for patients, including jawbone loss. While traditional dental bridges help fill gaps in your smile, they don’t prevent bone loss. Only an implant bridge can do both, securing a bridge to your jaw with dental implants that help your bone stay healthy. The implant bridge process is quite simple, and your healing may be accelerated using L-PRF treatment.

Book a free implant consultation to learn whether you’re eligible for dental implant treatment!

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