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Scott E. Keith, DDS, MS, FACP Quincy Gibbs, DDS 
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Posted on 11/20/2019 by Front Desk |
 A dental bridge is a device that fills in a gap from a missing tooth and replaces the tooth with a false tooth. The process of implementing a bridge is similar to that of implementing a crown where the teeth are shaved down to fit the device. Unlike crowns, it may be necessary to receive dental implants to fully support the bridge device. TMD is a disorder of the muscle structure on both or a single side of the jaw where the lower jaw connects to the skull. When the TMD joint becomes injured or stressed, it can cause severe problems for the people is affects in the way of pain, swelling, and if it progresses enough, lowered function of the jaw. The most common causes for TMD are grinding or clenching teeth while asleep or awake and damaged teeth. If it is the prior cause contributing to your TMD, it is possible to wear a mouth guard at night to avoid against unwanted grinding. However, the solution for TMD caused by missing teeth is more complicated. Missing Teeth and TMDUnder certain circumstances, TMD can be solved by implementing a bridge if you are missing teeth. Often, the cause of TMD when a person is missing a tooth is an uneven bite. When a tooth is missing between two healthy teeth, those teeth begin to shift closer towards each other causing the jaw to not sit properly with other teeth when eating and biting. Over time, the misalignment of teeth will cause stress to your jaw and you could develop TMD.One way to solve this problem is to get a bridge before the teeth begin to shift. By installing a bridge, we can even your bite and prevent TMD from occurring due to shifts from your teeth. However, bridges may not be a viable option under certain circumstances, and we will need to assess the area before implementing a bridge. If you have more questions about whether or not a dental bridge could help or prevent TMD, please give us a call or come in for a visit. |
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