A missing tooth doesn’t stay in its own lane for long. Neighboring teeth start to drift, your bite shifts to compensate, and what started as one gap can turn into a bigger fix down the road. At Lake Ellyn Dental, our restorative dentist near Lombard fits dental bridges that close that gap for good, without surgery or a removable appliance to keep track of.
Our team will walk you through whether a bridge fits your situation, or whether another option makes more sense. Either way, you’ll leave with a clear answer and a plan you understand.
is all it takes to shift your whole bite over time.
can be restored with a single bridge.
required for a traditional bridge.
No two gaps are quite the same, so no two bridges should be, either. Dr. Kelsey Esposito looks at the health of your neighboring teeth, your bone structure, and what you’d rather avoid (extra procedures, extra cost, extra time) before recommending a direction. A few paths this can take are:
Traditional Bridge A traditional bridge anchors to the natural teeth on either side of the gap, making it the most common way to replace one or more missing teeth.
Implant-Supported Bridge If you’d rather not put any extra load on your natural teeth, an implant-supported bridge anchors to dental implants instead.
Bonded Bridge Neighboring teeth stay untouched with a bonded bridge, which attaches directly to the back of the teeth next to your gap.
A bridge takes a couple of visits to our Glen Ellyn dental office to get right, and that’s by design. Precision matters here, since this restoration needs to fit perfectly against the teeth on either side of it. Dr. Esposito pays close attention to how the bridge meets your bite, so it feels comfortable once you’re back to eating and smiling as usual. This is what that process looks like:
It depends on the type of bridge and how many teeth are involved. Our team will go over exact pricing at your visit, once we know what your smile actually needs.
Most bridges hold up well for 10 to 15 years, sometimes longer with good care. Routine dental checkups help us catch wear before it becomes a real issue.
In many cases, yes. What matters most is the overall strength and health of the tooth, not whether it’s ever had work done before.
Not really. A bridge is fixed in place and works like your natural teeth, so most patients forget it’s even there after a short adjustment period.
You don’t have to live with a missing tooth any longer than you want to. A tooth bridge is a small fix with a big payoff, and it’s one we handle often at Lake Ellyn Dental. Our dentist near Lombard is ready to help you close that gap for good.
