Why You Should Get Dental Bridges in Westhampton

You’re casually walking around the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, soaking in all of the masterworks. Some of them are over a 100 years old, but the paint and marble looks like they just had hands on them yesterday. You look deeply into a portrait of some royal woman smiling, and your eyes are immediately drawn to her teeth. The artist was either very kind or she must have been born with a perfect smile. You wish your smile would look that good if someone painted it, but you have large gaps because of missing teeth. You decide right there that you want to get them fixed, but what is the next step? Dr. William W. Way wants to tell you why getting dental bridges in Westhampton is clearly your best option.

What Are Dental Bridges?

Missing teeth not only present cosmetic problems, but can also affect how your remaining teeth are aligned. Your teeth will naturally try to fill in the gaps in your smile, and this can change how your jaws fit together, causing you discomfort. A dental bridge can easily help your smile with both of these issues. It is made up of a prosthetic tooth that sits on the gums and is supported by two surrounding teeth (called abutments). These teeth typically need to be prepared with crowns so that they can properly hold the prosthetic tooth. If you have a row of missing teeth, then you can have a row of prosthetic teeth. However, if you do not have enough dental structure to support them, bridges can also be anchored using dental implants, which is a small metal post that is placed into your jaw and topped with a crown.

Dental bridges are one of the quickest and most reliable ways to restore your missing teeth, which is why they have been used for decades. They can be made to be either fixed or removable depending on your needs. Regardless, the end result is that you will have your smile back.

What is The Procedure Like?

Most patients can get a dental bridge in as little as two visits. The process involves 3 basic steps:

• Way will prepare your abutment teeth and then take an impression of your mouth
• This impression will be sent to a dental lab to fabricate your bridge
• Your last visit is when your bridge will be placed and any adjustments will be made

The entire process usually takes a little more than a week and is completely painless. You will wear a temporary bridge while your real ones is being made. If you need to get implants to support your bridge, then you will have to undergo that procedure first. After the first couple of weeks with your bridge, they should feel completely natural.

Why Should I Get a Bridge with Westhampton Dentistry?

When it comes to restoring your smile, you want to look for 3 key things when choosing a dentist:

• Experience: Way is actually the son of a dentist and started working in his father’s practice that was established in 1946. He has been serving Richmond smiles for 28 years.
• Training: Way received his undergraduate degree from the Virginia Military Institute and his doctorate from the Medical College of Virginia. This is all in addition to literally growing up in dentistry with his father.
• Results: A picture is worth a thousand words and Dr. Way’s Smile Gallery is filled with his beautiful work that has helped so many people throughout the years.

Have Questions?

An incomplete smile is one that doesn’t get shown very often, and that needs to change. Dr. Way and his team are ready to give you your confidence back, and all that requires is a dental bridge. If you’re ready to get your old smile back and look better than ever, make an appointment with us today.