Bridges

         When you lose a tooth the space that is left can lead to complications down the road if it is not filled in. Each tooth wants to lean on the adjacent tooth in front of it and to hit the tooth above or below it in the opposite arch. It will tip forwards, migrate backward, and extrude up or down looking for another tooth to lean on and to hit upon closure. As this happens over the years, your bite no longer fits together. This can cause several major problems:

• Clenching and/or grinding
• Hyper muscle activity
• TMJ dysfunction
• Enamel and tooth wear

         A bridge uses the adjacent teeth to hold a pontic or false tooth in the space where the tooth is missing so that it looks and feels as though your natural tooth is still there. It is a wonderful and simple way to avoid the problems associated with tooth loss.