If you have experienced tooth loss, porcelain crowns and bridges can restore your smile. Regular biting and chewing functions will also be restored. By filling in the gaps where teeth are missing, you can more easily enjoy many of your favorite foods again. Porcelain crowns and bridges are available at Saluda Smilemakers in Saluda, SC, where Dr. Sam Wheeler can help you regain a full smile.
What are Porcelain Crowns and Bridges?
A dental bridge is an oral appliance that contains prosthetic teeth called pontics. The pontics fill in the empty spaces in between natural teeth where other teeth have been lost. A bridge can be used in conjunction with porcelain crowns to secure it in place. Porcelain crowns look just like natural teeth so they readily blend in with the rest of your smile.
When using crowns with bridges, a crown is positioned at each end of the dental bridge with the pontics filling the space in between. The crowns can be placed over the natural teeth, often called abutment teeth, on either side of the gap being filled. Alternatively, the porcelain crowns can be attached to dental implants if they cannot be placed over existing teeth. The skilled dentist at our office in Saluda, SC, can determine if crowns and bridges are an option for restoring your smile.
How Porcelain Crowns and Bridges Help
Porcelain crowns and bridges can help your smile in so many ways. They restore the beauty of your smile by filling in the gaps caused by tooth loss, while also delivering several additional benefits. For example, biting and chewing functions are restored so that you can enjoy eating a wider variety of foods again. Crowns and bridges also minimize many of the side effects of tooth loss.
One side effect of having fewer teeth is that the remaining teeth endure more strain as they compensate for the missing ones. Additionally, speech can change when there isn’t a full set of teeth to guide tongue placement when speaking. The tongue can slip into the empty spaces where teeth are missing and alter the way you sound when talking. Another side effect of tooth loss is facial sagging since there are fewer teeth to support the muscles in the face. By filling in the gaps with crowns and bridges, these side effects are minimized or eliminated.
You can easily restore your smile with porcelain crowns and bridges. Schedule a consultation with Dr. Wheeler to learn more about replacing your missing teeth with crowns and bridges by calling Saluda Smilemakers in Saluda, SC, at (864) 445-8124.