Porcelain Bridges

Bridging the Gaps

If you have gaps in your smile due to missing teeth, we can close those spaces with a dental bridge. Whenever you drive across a bridge, you're being supported by the same principles that support a dental bridge. A dental bridge is essentially an artificial tooth, also called a pontic. It is held in place by crowned teeth on either side of the gap, which are called abutments. While a bridge lasts for many years, sometimes the strain of supporting one or more missing teeth can cause the abutments themselves to weaken and may lead to more missing teeth.

A Better Bridge

Dental implants can generally offer a more secure solution. An implant is carefully placed in the bone and mimics the root of a tooth. This eliminates most of the load-bearing strain you see in traditional bridge abutments because the tooth is now supported by an artificial root instead of the neighboring teeth.  In some cases, two implants may be used to build a bridge.

Dr. Noreen Goldwire knows how to bring the puzzle pieces together to fit any scenario regardless of the scope of your treatment.