The Best Ways to Take Care of Your Dental Bridge: Five Tips to Remember

The Best Ways to Take Care of Your Dental Bridge: Five Tips to Remember

July 7, 2023

If you miss a tooth or two and want to avoid getting dentures or implants, dental bridges serve your purpose. A dental bridge is a fake tooth or Pontic secured in place by the teeth on either side of the edentulous gap.

Bridges are excellent as restorative dentistry services because they help restore your smile and bite to help you regain your confidence. Bridges are more comfortable and require minimal maintenance than dentures. However, it does not indicate that you can neglect dental hygiene practices and care for your dental bridges. Bridges also need dental hygiene and cleaning.

This article provides five bridge tips to help you maintain your restoration after getting them from the dental office nearby.

The Do’s and Don’ts of Caring for Your Dental Bridge

Although dental bridges are not your natural teeth, you must care for them appropriately to ensure they remain in your mouth for their expected lifespan. Here are some dos and don’ts that you must follow after getting a dental bridge for your missing teeth.

Dos

  • Brush Twice Daily: dental plaque does not require much time to accumulate around your natural and artificial teeth. Therefore you must brush your teeth and the dental bridge twice daily with a soft-bristled toothbrush using fluoride toothpaste to help remove irritants and keep oral bacteria minimal. It helps if you avoid whitening toothpaste because it can damage the dental bridge.
  • Flossing Daily: Dental bridges receive support from adjacent natural teeth. If you compromise the health of the neighboring teeth, you risk losing your dental bridge. Therefore you must clean between all your natural teeth at least once daily to reduce the risk of tooth decay and gum disease.
  • Cleaning beneath the Bridge: Regular cleaning beneath the bridges is also a requirement to remove food between the bridge and your gums. You can use floss threaders or interproximal brushes by asking the dentist in Youngtown for recommendations to clean beneath the dental bridge.
  • Dental Visits: Dental visits become essential if you have dental bridges or other restorations to replace missing teeth. In addition, your dentist might recommend more frequent visits if you are at high risk for gum disease and have received a dental bridge in Youngtown.

Don’ts

  • Do not consider chewing on certain foods detrimental to the restoration of your mouth. For example, the dental office near you will recommend not chewing on ice, sticky candy, and other similar foods that can dislodge the dental bridge.
  • Do not use abrasive cleaners or toothpaste that can scratch the bridge’s surface.
  • After getting a dental bridge, quitting smoking helps because it increases your risk of developing gum disease. In addition, it can impact the longevity of the dental bridge.

Maximizing the Lifespan of Your Dental Bridges: Maintenance Strategies

Dental bridges have a lifespan of 10 to 15 years. However, you can extend the dental restoration’s longevity by using the maintenance strategies mentioned below when caring for your dental bridge. They are:

  1. Brushing Daily: Twice daily brushing is suggested for dental bridge maintenance. You must treat the dental bridge like your natural teeth remembering that you can lose the restoration if you don’t care for them appropriately.
  2. Daily Flossing: daily flossing helps keep your dental bridge, teeth, and gums healthy. Flossing your dental bridge at least once daily using appropriate dental floss is essential. However, you must remain cautious about being gentle with the restoration because aggressive flossing can damage the bridge and the neighboring teeth.
  3. Antibacterial Mouthwash: antibacterial mouthwash helps eliminate bacteria from the challenging-to-reach areas of your mouth. Using a local dentist-recommended brand prevents gum inflammation and helps freshen your breath. You must choose an antibacterial mouthwash with fluoride because it helps strengthen tooth enamel and prevents tooth decay.
  4. Gentle Chewing: to avoid damaging your dental bridge, it is vital to chew foods gently without exerting excessive pressure on your restoration because it can result in loosening, breakage, or detachment of the dental bridge. It is best to chew on the opposite side of the mouth and take smaller bites to prevent damage to your artificial teeth.
  5. Night Guards: night guards are tools to protect your natural and restored teeth from teeth grinding and clenching. Using a customized nightguard will protect your dental bridge from the pressure of these practices.

After receiving replacements for your missing teeth, you are responsible for caring for them like your remaining teeth. The tips mentioned in this article help you manage dental bridges and extend their longevity beyond their expected lifespan.

If you have lost teeth and need a replacement other than dentures or implants, kindly contact Agua Fria Dental providing dental bridges as an optimal solution. You also receive advice on how to care for the restoration to help maximize its longevity.

Click to listen highlighted text!