If you have decided that a dental bridge is the best option to address your dental issues, it is important to remember that a commitment to solid oral hygiene is an important part of keeping your bridge in good shape and ensuring that your surrounding teeth and gums remain healthy. This means that you have to do a few things a little differently than you would normally do if you did not have a bridge in place.
To understand the hygiene methods required, you should first understand how a fixed dental bridge is placed in the mouth. A bridge works by attaching a fabricated false tooth or series of teeth that are needed to replace missing teeth to a “bridge” that then attaches to one or two surrounding teeth in order to keep it in place. The surrounding teeth are covered by crowns to serve as the means for securing the false teeth.
This is a great way to replace missing teeth, because the fabricated teeth look and feel just like real teeth, and they remain securely in place since they are permanently attached to surrounding teeth. This is in contrast to removable dentures, which also replace missing teeth but have to be temporarily secured each day in the mouth and then removed at night. The bridges can be fixed, which means that they are permanently secured to teeth on both sides, or they can be cantilevered, which means that they are only affixed on one side.
Whichever way the bridge is secured, whether to one or two teeth, it is permanently secured in the mouth and cannot be removed for easy cleaning. This means that not only do the false teeth and other areas of the bridge have to be thoroughly cleaned, brushed and flossed like the other teeth in the mouth, but it is extremely important that the gap under the bridge is kept clean to avoid gum disease resulting from trapped food, particles and bacteria.
The best way to clean the gap under the bridge is by using a special type of flosser. This flosser has a point on one end that can be used to get under the bridge and a strand of dental floss is attached that can be pulled through to remove anything in its path that might otherwise sit there and cause bacteria to flourish, ultimately leading to gum problems.
It may also be necessary to visit the dentist more often for a professional cleaning if you find that the areas in your mouth near or under the bridge cannot be kept clean enough with in-home oral hygiene alone. If your dentist tells you that you should make the span between dental visits shorter to keep your teeth and gums healthier due to the addition of a bridge in your mouth, it is best to follow his or her advice and make that extra appointment. Being diligent about dental hygiene now can go a long way in helping you avoid more painful, costly and potentially serious problems later.
For more information about dental bridges in Queens, NY contact Park Dental Care at 718-274-1515.
