Restorative Dentistry

Dental Bridges in Inglewood, CA

Replace missing teeth and restore your smile at Blue Diamond Dental. When you lose a tooth, it affects how you eat, speak, and feel. We provide custom dental bridges in Inglewood, CA, to bring back your complete, functional smile and protect your long-term oral health.

older man outside smiling

What Is a Dental Bridge?

A dental bridge fills the gap left by one or more missing teeth. It features an artificial tooth, called a pontic, held in place by dental crowns attached to your neighboring natural teeth. These supporting natural teeth are called abutment teeth.

We offer custom fixed bridges that we permanently bond into place. Unlike removable dentures, fixed bridges provide outstanding stability. They stay firmly in your mouth, allowing you to chew your favorite foods and speak with complete confidence.

Why You Should Replace Missing Teeth

Every tooth in your mouth works together to support your daily activities. When you lose a tooth, the surrounding teeth can slowly shift out of their correct alignment. This shifting places unusual, harmful stress on your gums and jaw. Missing teeth also significantly increase your risk of developing gum disease.

Beyond your dental health, an incomplete smile impacts your facial structure. Your teeth support your lips and cheeks. Losing a back tooth can cause your mouth to sink, which might make your face look older. A custom dental bridge prevents these issues, supports your facial muscles, and keeps your mouth healthy.

How the Dental Bridge Process Works

Getting a bridge usually requires two or three comfortable visits to our office. We take the time to ensure your new restoration fits perfectly and feels completely natural.

  1. Preparation: During your first appointment, Dr. Anthony Ortega gently prepares the teeth on either side of the gap. This involves removing a small amount of enamel so the crowns can fit securely.
  2. Impressions: We take precise impressions of your teeth and send them to a specialized dental lab. The lab uses these impressions to build a bridge that matches your bite exactly. We will place a temporary bridge to protect your teeth while you wait.
  3. Placement: At your final visit, we remove the temporary bridge. We test the new, permanent bridge to ensure a flawless fit. Once everything looks and feels right, we cement the bridge securely into place.

High-Quality Materials for a Natural Look

We craft our bridges from highly durable materials, including porcelain, gold alloys, or a sturdy combination of these materials. Many of our patients choose porcelain because it closely mimics the natural shine and color of real teeth. We custom-shade the porcelain so your new artificial tooth blends seamlessly with the rest of your smile.

Caring for Your New Dental Bridge

Your new bridge relies heavily on the health of the neighboring teeth for its support. Because of this, practicing great daily oral hygiene is essential. Brush your teeth twice a day and floss daily. You must also clean carefully under the bridge to remove trapped food and plaque. Visiting our office for regular dental cleanings and exams will help your beautiful restoration last for many years.

Trusted Restorative Care in the South Bay Area

For over 50 years, Blue Diamond Dental has helped patients across Inglewood, Hawthorne, Gardena, and the wider South Bay area enjoy strong, healthy smiles. We listen closely to your needs and deliver gentle, expert care in a welcoming environment. We treat every patient like family.

Schedule Your Dental Bridge Consultation Today

Do not let missing teeth hold you back from living your best life. Our compassionate team is ready to help you regain your oral health and your confidence with a custom restoration.

Book your consultation online today to get started!

FAQ

A bridge — a device used to replace missing teeth — attaches artificial teeth to adjacent natural teeth, called abutment teeth. Bridges are either permanently attached (fixed bridges), or they can be removable.

If you’re missing one or more teeth, you may be aware of their importance to your appearance and dental health. Your teeth work together for many daily functions from eating to speaking. With missing teeth, it’s difficult to do these things. Missing teeth can and should be replaced. Fixed bridges are a great way to restore your dental health and appearance.

A bridge (fixed partial denture) is a device which fills the gap where teeth are absent. Fixed bridges are bonded into place and can only be removed by a dental professional. Removable bridges, as the name implies, can be taken out and cleaned. Fixed bridges offer more stability than their removable counterparts.

Oral functionality and appearance are important reasons for wearing a bridge. A bridge helps support your lips and cheeks. The loss of a back tooth may cause your mouth to sink and your face to look older.

Dental health is the most important reason for a bridge. Teeth were designed to complement each other. Unusual stresses are placed on the gums and other oral tissues when teeth are missing, causing a number of potentially harmful disorders.

Increased risk of gum disease has proven to be one of the worst side effects of missing teeth and can be minimized with a bridge.

Missing teeth can cause speech disorders as they are used to make many of the sounds we use to speak clearly.

The attachment procedure usually takes two or three appointments to complete. At the first appointment Dr. Ortega will prepare the teeth on either side of the gap by removing a portion of the enamel and dentin.

Since the bridge must be fabricated very precisely to ensure correct bite and to match the opposing tooth, impressions of the teeth are taken and sent to a lab where the bridge will be constructed.

Fixed bridges are typically cemented to the natural teeth next to the space left by the missing tooth. A pontic (false tooth) replaces the lost tooth. Crowns, which are cemented onto the natural teeth, provide support for the bridge.

Bridges can be constructed from gold alloys, non-precious alloys, porcelain, or a combination of these materials. Porcelain is often bonded to either precious or non-precious metal.

A strict regimen of brushing and flossing will keep the bridge and surrounding teeth clean. This is of critical importance as the bridge relies on the neighboring teeth for support.