Types of Bridges

Patients at Bishop & Bishop Dental in Silver Spring don’t have to go without teeth. When someone needs multiple crowns replaced, we can provide them with a dental bridge. But these prosthetic devices have undergone some improvements in recent years, which is why we thought our patients might appreciate learning more about them.
Bridges substitute multiple crowns that have been broken, severely decayed, or are gone altogether. The traditional pontic bridge was a series of linked crowns, of which the outermost two were cemented over natural teeth. This required the natural teeth to be reshaped into narrow cylinders and for there to be no other crowns in between them. Sometimes, dentists were willing to extract or reshape healthy teeth to make room for a bridge. While this technique allowed patients to retain their natural tooth roots, modern dentists prefer not to do unnecessary extractions.
It is now possible to fabricate dentures that skirt around natural teeth, allowing more targeted care. The dentures have to be reshaped from time to time as the jaw naturally changes shape, but the patient’s jaw bone will be more stable with their tooth roots left intact. At our office, we provide mini-implant support for dentures which can be inserted into the patient’s jawbone without the lengthy process of a full implant. This will further stabilize the jaw, allowing the denture to more satisfactorily restore the patient’s bite and speaking functions.
Dr. David Bishop, Dr. Dorienne Taylor-Bishop, and Dr. Alicia Reynolds operate Bishop & Bishop Dental at 8757 Georgia Ave, #810 Silver Spring, Maryland, 20910. To set up an appointment, call 301-608-9270 or visit Bishop Dental and fill out a contact sheet.

Bridge the Gap in Silver Spring, MD

If you’ve had one tooth or multiple teeth extracted due to damage, decay or disease, it is important to have the resulting gap filled or your remaining teeth can shift out of position and become susceptible to further decay. One way to replace your missing tooth or teeth and prevent this shifting is with a dental bridge.

Called a bridge because a prosthetic tooth is suspended between two crowns to fill in the missing space, this natural-looking tooth structure is usually made from gold, metal, alloys or porcelain to ensure a strong and durable smile that can last more than 25 years if properly cared for.

The process of creating a bridge usually takes two visits to our office in Silver Spring, MD. During your first visit, Dr. David Bishop will create abutments out of the existing teeth on both sides of your gap. This is where the bridge’s crowns will be attached. After the abutments are in place, a mold is made of your mouth for creating the bridge, which will fit and feel as close to your natural teeth as possible. While you wait for the bridge to be fabricated in the lab, you will receive a temporary device for your convenience. Then, once the permanent device is completed, you will return to our office to have the crowns fixed to the abutments with an adhesive. The pontic is attached to the crowns to form the bridge and replace your missing tooth or teeth.

To schedule an appointment at Bisho & Bishop Dental, call (301) 608-9270. For more information, please visit www.bishopdental.com.    

Restore Your Smile

Need to restore your smile due to extraction, tooth loss or severe damage? Bridges provide many advantages for correcting smile gaps and protecting your oral health, including:

• Bridges restore your smile in full. They are custom created to be indistinguishable from your other teeth, are fixed, and require no visible framework.  
• Bridges restore the function of your teeth, eliminating the dietary restrictions and risks associated with missing teeth and exposed gum.
• Bridges are a long term dental solution. With proper care, this prosthetic can to last up to fifteen years.
• Bridges can be used to replace one or more missing teeth, and since they’re aesthetically pleasing and custom crafted, they can be used in highly visible portions of your smile.  
• Bridges are cost effective and are covered by most insurance plans, whereas dental implants are often not.

You can learn more about bridges, our placement process and what you can expect from this restorative right on our website.  Please call us directly here at Bishop & Bishop Dental, and we’ll be happy to answer all of your questions.