Losing a tooth changes more than your smile.
Sometimes it’s the way you chew. Certain foods suddenly aren’t as easy to eat. Maybe you find yourself chewing almost entirely on the other side of your mouth.
Sometimes it’s the empty space you notice every time you look in the mirror.
And sometimes it’s both.
Whatever brought you here, you have options. A dental bridge is one way to replace missing teeth without having a separate replacement for every tooth you’ve lost. Depending on your needs, a bridge can be supported by your natural teeth or by dental implants.
At Shorewood Family Dental Care, we can help you figure out which approach makes sense for your mouth, not just which one sounds best on paper.
Call 815-725-5991 or fill out our online form to make an appointment and learn whether a dental bridge could help restore your smile.
Why Replace Missing Teeth?
It’s easy to think of a missing tooth as mostly a cosmetic problem, especially when the gap isn’t visible when you smile.
But your teeth work together.
When one or more teeth are gone, neighboring teeth may gradually shift toward the open space. The way your upper and lower teeth meet can change. Depending on where the missing teeth are, chewing can become more difficult, too.
Then there’s the part that’s harder to measure.
Some people simply don’t feel like themselves with missing teeth. They stop smiling as freely in photos, cover their mouth when they laugh, and/or become aware of the space every time they speak.
If that’s happening to you, it isn’t something you need to be embarrassed about.
Teeth are lost for all kinds of reasons: decay, gum disease, injuries, failed restorations and other dental problems. We’re much more interested in helping you move forward than making you feel bad about how you got here.
How Does a Dental Bridge Replace Missing Teeth?
The name is actually pretty accurate.
A dental bridge spans the space where one or more teeth are missing. The replacement tooth, called a pontic, fills the gap and is supported on either side.
How that bridge is supported depends on the type you receive.
Traditional Dental Bridges
A traditional dental bridge procedure uses neighboring natural teeth to support the restoration.
Those teeth are prepared for dental crowns, which become the anchors for the bridge. Between them is the replacement tooth—or teeth—that fills the open space.
Once the bridge is secured, it becomes a fixed restoration. You don’t take it out at night or remove it to eat.
For the right patient, this can be a very practical way to replace one or more missing teeth.
There is a tradeoff, though: the neighboring teeth have to be reshaped to accommodate the crowns.
That’s one of the factors we’ll consider when deciding whether a traditional bridge is the best choice for you.
Implant-Supported Bridges
There’s another way to support a bridge.
Instead of relying on neighboring natural teeth, dental implants can be placed in the jawbone and used to anchor the restoration.
That can be particularly useful when several teeth in the same area are missing.
You don’t necessarily need one implant for every missing tooth. In some cases, strategically placed implants can support a bridge replacing multiple teeth.
Implants also replace something a traditional bridge doesn’t: support below the gumline. Because an implant is placed in the jawbone, it functions as an artificial tooth root and provides a stable foundation for the restoration above it.
The process takes longer than getting a traditional bridge because the implants need time to integrate with the surrounding bone.
But for some patients, the added stability is worth the wait.
Traditional Bridge or Implant-Supported Bridge?
There isn’t one answer that’s right for everybody.
And that’s really the point.
If the teeth beside the gap already need crowns, using them to support a traditional bridge may make good sense. If those neighboring teeth are healthy and untouched, preserving them may be a reason to consider an implant-supported option instead.
Other things matter, too:
- How many teeth are missing.
- Where they’re located.
- The health of the surrounding teeth and gums.
- How much healthy jawbone is available.
- Your overall oral health.
- Treatment time.
- Cost.
- Your personal preferences.
Sometimes the decision is fairly straightforward.
Other times, there are two perfectly reasonable options and we need to talk through the advantages and drawbacks of each.
That’s a better conversation to have after we’ve actually examined your mouth.
What Does a Dental Bridge Feel Like?
There’s usually an adjustment period with any new dental restoration.
Your tongue notices everything. Even a small change can feel enormous for the first few days.
Give it a little time.
A properly designed bridge should eventually feel comfortable enough that you aren’t constantly thinking about it. It should allow you to bite and chew more normally and fill the space left behind by your missing teeth.
Your bridge is also designed to blend with the teeth around it. We consider things like size, shape and shade so the restoration doesn’t look like an unrelated tooth was simply dropped into the middle of your smile.
The goal isn’t just to fill an empty space.
It’s to make that space feel like part of your smile again.
Can You Eat Normally With a Dental Bridge?
One of the biggest reasons people want to replace missing teeth is pretty simple:
They want to eat normally again.
A missing tooth, or several missing teeth, can change the way you chew. People often compensate without realizing it, avoiding certain foods or chewing almost exclusively on one side.
A dental bridge restores a chewing surface where teeth were lost.
Once you’ve adjusted to the restoration, you should be able to enjoy a much broader range of foods comfortably. We’ll let you know if there are particular foods or habits you should be cautious about based on your specific restoration.
No dental work is indestructible, though. Your bridge still needs to be treated like something you’d like to keep for a very long time.
How Long Does a Dental Bridge Last?
A dental bridge can last many years, but there isn’t an honest way to promise exactly how long yours will last.
A lot depends on what happens after it’s placed.
Your oral hygiene matters. So does the health of the supporting teeth and gums. Grinding and clenching can place additional stress on restorations. Regular dental care gives us a chance to catch problems while they’re still manageable.
And yes, bridges occasionally need to be repaired or replaced.
The goal is to give yours the best chance of serving you well for as long as possible.
How Do You Clean Under a Dental Bridge?
This part is important because a bridge changes the way you need to floss.
You can brush a bridge much like you brush your natural teeth. But because the replacement tooth is connected to the crowns beside it, regular floss can’t simply pass down between those teeth in the usual way.
You need to clean underneath the bridge.
That may involve a floss threader, specialized floss, an interdental brush or another cleaning aid. We’ll show you how to do it rather than handing you a new bridge and expecting you to figure it out at home.
The bridge itself can’t develop a cavity.
The natural teeth supporting it can.
And the gum tissue underneath and around the bridge still needs to stay healthy.
That’s why good home care and regular professional cleanings remain important after your missing teeth have been replaced.
What If You’re Missing Several Teeth?
A traditional bridge isn’t the only option.
Depending on how many teeth you’ve lost, their location and the condition of your mouth, your options might include an implant-supported bridge, individual dental implants or a removable partial denture.
If you’re missing most or all of the teeth in an arch, the conversation changes again.
Don’t worry about figuring out which category you fall into before you call us.
That’s our job. We can examine your teeth, gums and bone, look at the entire situation and explain which tooth-replacement options are realistic for you.
You Don’t Have to Feel Embarrassed About Missing Teeth
We want to say this plainly because we’ve cared for plenty of people who needed to hear it.
Please don’t avoid the dentist because you’re embarrassed about your teeth.
We’ve seen people become incredibly self-conscious after losing teeth. Some stop smiling. Some wait years before asking about replacement because they assume they’ll be judged for letting their mouths get to this point.
That’s not what we’re here to do.
Dental problems happen over a lifetime. Needs change. A person who needed nothing more than cleanings and an occasional filling at 25 may be having a very different dental conversation at 55 or 75.
Our job is to meet you where you are now. Then we figure out what comes next.
Ready to Replace Missing Teeth?
A dental bridge can restore more than the appearance of a missing tooth. For the right patient, it can bring back comfortable chewing, help maintain the relationship between neighboring teeth and make a smile feel complete again.
Whether a traditional bridge, implant-supported bridge or another option makes the most sense depends on your individual situation.
Shorewood Family Dental Care has been helping generations of families in Shorewood, Joliet and the surrounding communities care for their smiles since 1974. As dental needs change through the years, we’re here to help patients understand their options without pressure or judgment.
If you’re ready to replace missing teeth, call 815-725-5991 or contact us online to request an appointment.
We’ll take a look at what’s going on, explain your options and help you decide what feels right for you.
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Originally published July 1, 2017. Updated September 7, 2026.
