Traditional Crown & Bridge Treatment

At Brookside Family Dental, our mission is to painlessly restore the function and beauty of your smile—and to give you an exceptional experience, even if you are prone to dental anxiety. When you have one or more missing teeth, traditional crown and bridge treatment may be the right solution for you.

Dr. Scott Lampert has had extensive training in prosthodontics and placed hundreds of aesthetically beautiful and long-lasting dental bridges. After nearly 20 years of experience replacing missing teeth, he recommends two types of treatments: Traditional Crown & Bridge treatment or Dental Implant treatment.

A traditional bridge is the initially more affordable treatment but requires the crowning of adjacent teeth to hold the bridge in place. One or more artificial teeth, known as pontics are held in place by two dental crowns (also known as “abutments”). Although bridges can be made from a variety of materials, including gold, they are commonly made from porcelain fused on metal or all porcelain for aesthetic reasons.

It is important to understand that bridges irreversibly change the teeth on either side of the missing tooth by grinding them down to allow room for the bridge to be inserted. This may be beneficial if the surrounding teeth require crowns on their own merit due fracture, large fillings, root canal therapy or decay. Should the adjacent teeth be healthy, many patients opt for Dental Implants to preserve their natural teeth.

Traditional bridges are durable for 5 to ten years, and sometimes longer with good oral hygiene and regular dental visits. You may need to replace your bridge if the jawbone undergoes too much bone resorption or the crowned abutment teeth become weakened or decayed. The cost of retreatment and bridge replacement is only one of the reasons patients are choosing implant-supported bridges.

In the case of implant treatment, the prosthetic tooth or multi-unit prosthesisis supported on a small titanium post placed in the jawbone. Prior to attachment of the bridge on this implant, osseointegration must occur. Osseointegration is the process of bone tissue growing around the implant. Full integration of the implant in your jawbone will take about two months. When the bridge is attached, it will become a permanent fixture in your jawbone, providing not only full biting strength but also protecting the long-term health of the jawbone because the implant stimulates the bone and halts bone resorption. You will be able to floss and brush your bridge like natural teeth, and with proper care, an implant-supported bridge can last the rest of your life. Implants don’t get cavities like our natural teeth can!

Implant-supported bridges are becoming increasingly popular with patients and recommended by dentists because this type of treatment does not require removal of healthy tooth structure and also preserves jawbone health. Prosthetic teeth on implants feel, function and look like natural healthy teeth—and provide full stability and biting strength. This is today’s gold standard of conservative care to restore and preserve full dental function, health, facial structure, and a beautiful smile.

What to Expect with Traditional Crown & Bridge Treatment

Dr. Lampert will do a thorough exam and recommend the treatment options that are most appropriate for you. You will have the opportunity to discuss the advantages of your options and make a personal decision. If you choose traditional crown and bridge treatment, you will be numbed with topical anesthetic, then gently injected with a powerful local anesthetic. When you are fully numb, Dr. Lampert will remove some of the outside of the abutment teeth to prepare them for crowns. A precise impression of your mouth will be made. This impression will be used by technicians in our dental lab to fabricate your bridge and maintain your proper bite.

The process of making your bridge in porcelain-on-metal, all-porcelain, or gold, may take two weeks or more. During the time that you wait for your custom bridge to be completed, you will wear a provisional bridge. This temporary restoration is made of tooth-colored acrylic. Dr. Lampert and his talented assistants will make it here in the office quickly in our on-site lab while you rest comfortably in the dental chair. You will be able to eat normally, and although acrylic does not have the same life-like look as porcelain, you will begin to see how beautiful your smile will become.

When your permanent custom bridge is ready, you will have another appointment. Dr. Lampert will remove the provisional bridge, clean the prepared teeth, and try in the restoration for fit. He can make slight modifications to the bridge to perfect its fit and the alignment of your bite. Then, he will use durable dental cement to seat the bridge on the abutment teeth, and check your bite again. You should experience comfortable, strong function when you return to normal eating that very same day. Your porcelain-on-metal or all-porcelain bridge will dazzle like natural healthy teeth and match the color of surrounding teeth.

Dr. Lampert may recommend teeth whitening before he sends your impressions and his notes to the lab, including specification of the exact porcelain color to be used. This way, your bridge will match the preferred shade of whiteness for your entire smile.

Do you have one or more missing teeth or an old dental bridge you are concerned about?

If you would like to learn more and schedule an appointment to find out what Dr. Lampert would recommend for you, give us a call today! The entire team at Brookside Family Dental enjoys helping Tampa Bay area patients of all ages. We are compassionate, gentle, and look forward to providing you and your family with our time, attention, knowledge, and skill. Reach out today and let us care for you.