Permanent and Removable Bridges

Dental bridges are a highly adaptable means of replacing teeth. At Bear Creek Dental in Grande Prairie, our doctors are experts in dental restorations and are happy to discuss patients’ options with them. But in order to make patients more comfortable during the discussion, we wanted to provide some information about bridges on our blog.

The classically designed dental bridge is a series of crowns linked together. Two of the patient’s teeth would be reshaped into abutments so the ends of the bridge could be cemented over them, and the middle crown would be suspended between them. This design had the advantage of leaving the patients’ natural tooth roots intact and of being relatively easy to clean, since a patient could thread floss under the bridge. But it was developed at a time when dentists assumed all natural teeth would need to be replaced eventually and dentists were willing to extract or reshape healthy natural teeth to make room for a bridge.

Modern dentists try as hard as possible to preserve natural teeth. If a healthy tooth is in the way of a bridge, a dentist can fabricate a removable denture with a hole for the natural tooth. The removable denture is even easier to keep clean, but it has to be reshaped if the natural teeth shift position.

Bear Creek Dental is located at Unit 201 10015 102 Ave, Grande Prairie, Alberta, T8v 0z8, Canada. To schedule an appointment, call 780-539-0404 or visit Bear Creek Dental.

 

How to Clean Dentures

We always encourage proper oral hygiene at Bear Creek Dental, but people may not always be aware of how oral hygiene practices must change if they get dentures. Regardless of whether the dentures are partial or replace all of a patient’s natural teeth, they are made of very different material and require more care.

While it is always a good idea to use soft-bristled toothbrushes, dentures also require specially designated toothpaste which lacks the gritty minerals of toothpaste for natural teeth. This is because natural teeth produce a protective film and can incorporate fluoride into their enamel, but dentures can neither protect nor repair themselves. Patients should also continue to brush inside their mouths (perhaps with a different toothbrush), being sure to clean their tongues and any exposed abutments, in cases where dentures are supported by implants.

Dentures need to be removed on a nightly basis. This will provide the patient’s gums with a chance to rest. But while moving dentures, it is important to remember how fragile they are. Keep them above a towel or other soft surface and put them in room temperature, not hot, water or cleaning solution. Even well-cared for dentures will need to be adjusted as the patient’s mouth naturally changes shape. This should only be done by a professional.

Bear Creek Dental is located at Unit 201 10015 102 Ave, Grande Prairie, Alberta, T8V 0Z8, Canada. To schedule an appointment, call 780-539-0404 or visit BearCreekDental.CA.

 

Getting Dentures

Dentures are the most famous kind of prosthodontic (prosthetic tooth). Though other options, such as implants, now exist for individual teeth, there are situations in which it is best for a patient to have a removable appliance. Getting dentures is a big decision, but Bear Creek Dental is dedicated to helping patients get maximum satisfaction from their treatments.

Partial dentures are like removable bridges. They replace the front teeth and clasp onto the teeth on either side. Installing them requires reshaping of the teeth being clasped unless they are supported by implants. Full dentures require the extraction of all the teeth in the arch. The denture will replace all of them and be either implanted or suctioned to a patient’s mouth.

Before their teeth are extracted, patients will have an impression made of their bites. This will be the basis for the immediate dentures they use in between the extractions and the second set of dentures they get, which will be based on an impression taken of their mouths a few months later. The second impression and denture set are necessary because the removal of teeth roots causes the patient’s jaw to change shape. After the dentures are placed, the patient’s jaw will continue to lose bone matter, which is why the dentures must be refitted periodically.

Bear Creek Dental is located at Unit 201 10015 102 Ave, Grande Prairie, Alberta, T8v 0z8, Canada. To schedule an appointment, call 780-539-0404 or visit BearCreekDental.CA.