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Family and Cosmetic Dentistry

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Do I need a bridge?

It is important to maintain stability of all the teeth for functional reason as well as for cosmetic purposes. If you have a missing tooth , the area around that space will collapse and cause a chain reaction of problems that can affect the entire mouth.

Teeth need each other for support. When one tooth is missing, the biting forces change on all of the teeth adjacent to this space. Thus the other teeth begin to shift. This shifting of the teeth will create food traps, gum problems, jaw problems, cavities and so on. This is all because of the "shifted teeth". It is much harder to keep this area clean, and because of this reason, more problems occur. Harmful plaque and tartar will accumulate in these areas leading eventually to cavities, gum disease, bone loss, and sometimes loss of more teeth. To stop this chain reaction from ever starting, that missing tooth needs to be replaced with a bridge.

One missing tooth will cause the position of other teeth to change. A missing tooth can also create spaces between your teeth, changing your bite and smile.