Who is a candidate for a porcelain dental bridge?
If you have one or more missing teeth, have strong teeth on each side of the space and have good oral hygiene practices, you should discuss this procedure with Dr. Swearingen. If spaces are left unfilled, they may cause the surrounding teeth to drift out of position. Additionally, spaces from missing teeth can cause your other teeth and gums to become far more susceptible to tooth decay and gum disease. How is a dental bridge placed in my mouth? We prepare your teeth on either side of the space for the bridge. You will be given a mild anesthetic to numb the area, and then Dr. Swearingen will remove some tooth structure from each abutment (teeth on either side of the space) to accommodate for the thickness of the crown. When these teeth already have fillings, the filling will be removed unless Dr. Swearingen is sure there is no decay under it (i.e., a filling recently placed by him). We will then make an impression, which will provide the model from which the bridge, false tooth, and cr
