If you are missing teeth or have damaged teeth, our Oakville cosmetic dentist, Dr. Amit Chaudhry, can help. Today, people can realistically expect to keep their teeth a lifetime. Sometimes, whether it is due to dental disease or accident, teeth can be lost. There are numerous ways to replace missing teeth. How that is accomplished all depends on the particular circumstances of the tooth loss.
When one or a few teeth are lost, the most old fashioned way to replace them is with a removable denture. While this may be the "easiest" and least costly cosmetic dental procedure to replace a few missing teeth, they certainly are not entirely lifelike in appearance and use. They move when you eat and need to be removed to clean and at bedtime. For more information, take a look at our Dentures page.
Dental bridges meet the more demanding needs of lifelike appearance and function. They are fixed in place, and do not move when eating or speaking. Just like a cosmetic dental bridge over a river, a bridge spans the space of missing teeth and attach to teeth on either side of this gap- hence the name. Of course there must be solid teeth on each side of the space created by lost teeth!
The solid teeth on either side of the space are just like crowns and therefore can give certain advantages. Just like crowns, it allows us to change the shape and colour of those teeth as well as strengthen heavily filled or damaged teeth. But if those teeth have small or no fillings, we would need to remove a lot of good tooth structure. This is an important consideration. Dental implants can also be used for making bridges - in a very similar way as on natural teeth. See our dental implant page for more information.
The dentist technology for making dental bridges has been around a long time and has a good track record.
Advantages:
Disadvantages:
At our Oakville family and cosmetic dental office, there is an alternative to bridges that allow missing teeth to be replaced without touching nearby teeth: Dental Implants. These are designed to cosmetically be just like your natural teeth!
To learn more about Dental Bridges or other cosmetic dental procedures, book an appointment with Dr. Amit Chaudhry and his Oakville dental team. We will give you a thorough examination to help determine the best treatment options for your smile.