Some people are embarrassed to smile if they have missing teeth due to tooth decay or an accident. So, they may not smile when meeting others, which can make them seem like a cold or unfriendly person. To help people improve their appearance and disposition, dentists can use dental bridges to fill the gaps between teeth.

Why Replacing Teeth is Important

Although replacing your teeth will improve their appearance, and perhaps your personality, that isn’t the reason to use bridges and other dental prosthetics. When the teeth and their roots are missing, that deficit can cause the surrounding teeth to drift toward the opening, causing them to slant.

To keep them properly aligned, the missing tooth, or teeth, need replacing. One of our dentists at Broadway and Sunrise Mall Dental Centers can provide options for replacing your teeth and educate you about the benefits of each one. Among the options are dental bridges that help prevent teeth from drifting and slanting.

Types of Bridges

Our dentists in Hicksville and Massapequa are skilled in examining teeth and suggesting the right type of bridge to fill the gaps in teeth. If you’re missing only a couple of teeth, then they will recommend the best bridge for your needs depending on the location of the missing teeth and whether there are surrounding ones.

If the missing tooth or teeth are between other strong teeth on either side of the gap, then they will most likely recommend a traditional bridge, which is the most popular type. A traditional bridge consists of pontics, or fake teeth, between dental crowns that fit onto the surrounding or abutment teeth.

If there are only teeth on one side of the gap, then the dentist may recommend a cantilever bridge. The pontic(s) covering the gap attaches to a crown that fits over an abutment tooth to secure it in place on the one side that exists. If several teeth are missing, then our highly-educated dentists at Broadway and Sunrise Mall Dental Centers may recommend a Maryland bridge to replace them.

A Maryland bridge has pontics that attach to a frame and clip onto supporting teeth to stay in place. When you visit our facilities in Hicksville and/or Massapequa, you can feel confident that your smile is in the hands of some of the best dentists in the area.