How to Correct a Gap in the Teeth With a Bridge

Dental bridges are precision, fixed appliances made by dentists to replace one or more missing teeth, or to correct a congenital gap. Bridges are made using healthy teeth that abut the missing teeth and preparing them as if they were to receive a crown, by shaving off tooth structure on all five surfaces of the tooth. In between the abutment teeth, a false tooth is fused in place, replacing the missing tooth. Bridges are made of metal covered in porcelain, or gold metal only. Only a licensed dentist has the skill to make a bridge.

Instructions

    • 1

      Make an appointment with the dentist of choice. If you do not have a dentist, 1800dentist.com or the American Dental Association at Ada.org can refer you to one that fits your needs.

    • 2

      Arrive a few minutes early if you are a new patient, as the office will require a health history questionnaire to be completed. Be sure to bring an insurance card or coverage information, as it will be asked for.

    • 3

      Submit to an X-ray of the tooth needing to be bridged. This is necessary to make sure the tooth is completely missing with no retained root or infection present. It also assists the dentist in ensuring that the abutment teeth on either side of the tooth are healthy enough to support a bridge.

    • 4

      Relax while the dentist anesthetizes the teeth. If it is a front tooth, the injections that go under the lip with make it feel as if the lip is fat and over-sized. If the tooth is on the bottom jaw, one whole side will be numb. It is okay to ask for more anesthetic, if it feels as if the tooth may not be quite as numb as it should.

    • 5

      Allow the dental assistant to take an impression of the opposing arch, this is for the purpose of bite registration. If the tooth needing a bridge is on the upper arch, the bite registration impression will be on the lower arch.

    • 6

      Sit back and relax while the dentist begins preparing your mouth for the bridge. There will be the doctor and an assistant. The assistant will be suctioning, while the dentist is using the high speed drill to reduce the teeth on either side of the gap. You will hear a lot of noise and may smell some funny smells, especially if there are any fillings in the teeth being prepared. It is okay to let the dentist know if you need to break for a moment.

    • 7

      Keep your mouth open after the dentist is done drilling. He will be placing a little piece of string around each tooth, under the gum-line. It is called retraction cord and it makes the gums move away from the tooth, so that a good impression can be taken for the bridge.

    • 8

      Follow the dentist's directions, as he takes a final impression of the bridge preparation. This will involve him using a syringe to squeeze some finer detailed impression material around the preparation. This will be followed by a regular impression tray full of material. The impression usually must sit in the patient's mouth for five minutes prior to removal.

    • 9

      Allow the removal of the impression tray. The doctor will verify that it is a good impression, occasionally an impression needs to be re-taken to ensure the bridge is made properly. The dentist will choose a shade for the bridge and then turn the patient over to his licensed assistant who will make and cement in, a temporary bridge that protects the preparation and is functional. A second appointment will be scheduled for the permanent bridge to be cemented.

    • 10

      Return for the second bridge appointment. There is no anesthetic involved in a bridge install, unless the patient requests it. If the temporary bridge has been sensitive, it may be a good idea to ask for anesthetic.

    • 11

      Allow the dental assistant to remove the temporary bridge. She will usually use a pair of hemostats, grabbing it from both sides and rocking it, until it comes off. She will then use an instrument to remove any excess cement from the prepared teeth.

    • 12

      Keep your mouth open, while the dentist tries on the new bridge. He will use an explorer to go around the edges making sure there are no gaps between the bridge and the prepared teeth. He will check the bite and make any necessary adjustments to the bite where it may be high.

    • 13

      Bite firmly on the cotton that will be placed in the mouth following installation of the bridge. The dental assistant will mix the cement, the dentist will place the bridge and have you bite on the cotton, until the cement is hardened. Once the cement is removed, dental floss will be used to make sure no cement remains between the teeth.

    • 14

      Rinse your mouth one last time, and the bridge procedure is completed.

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