Many people lose teeth to decay, injury, gum disease, and wear. When that happens, the teeth that are lost should be replaced as soon as possible. Missing teeth can have negative health consequences, and gaps in the teeth can affect the aesthetic appearance of the smile. Fixed porcelain bridges are a popular treatment option for replacing missing teeth.

Niloufar Molayem, D.D.S. serves Pasadena and the surrounding area in a holistic dental practice, performing general and cosmetic dentistry procedures, including teeth restoration with fixed bridges. You can rely on Dr. Molayem to provide conservative, integrated treatment, while ensuring your well-being as a whole patient.

What Is a Fixed Bridge?

A fixed bridge is a non-removable appliance to replace missing teeth. There are several types of dental bridges, but the most popular is the traditional bridge made of porcelain fused to metal. Porcelain bridges are popular because they closely resemble natural teeth in appearance.

A traditional porcelain bridge consists of two crowns, placed over the adjacent, anchoring teeth, attached to one or more pontics (artificial teeth) in between to fill the gap created by the missing teeth. Dental bridges are durable and can last for many years, although they may eventually need to be replaced or re-cemented.

Fixed Bridge Procedure

The procedure to place a fixed bridge typically will require two or more office visits to complete. In the first visit, Dr. Molayem will numb your teeth and prepare the anchor teeth by removing a sufficient amount of tooth enamel to allow for a crown. Next, she will take an accurate impression of your teeth as a mold to send to the dental laboratory where your custom bridge will be fabricated. You will be fitted with a temporary bridge to wear until your next office visit, when your new bridge has been received from the lab. Finally, in your second appointment, Dr. Molayem will carefully examine and adjust your bridge and cement it to your teeth for a proper fit.

Fixed Bridge Before and After

Reasons to Have a Fixed Bridge

A fixed porcelain bridge is a useful treatment for replacing missing teeth or teeth that are no longer viable. Porcelain is a durable material that can be sculpted to look like natural tooth enamel. A porcelain bridge can be used to not only replace missing teeth, but also improve on their original appearance, for a more aesthetically pleasing smile.

If you are missing teeth, a fixed bridge may be a good treatment option to:

Fill in the gaps in your smile
Provide support needed to maintain your facial structure
Prevent your remaining teeth from drifting
Upgrade from a removable partial denture to a fixed appliance
Restore normal chewing and speaking ability
Give you back your smile

Fixed Bridges in Pasadena

Pasadena dentist Niloufar Molayem, D.D.S. and her entire dental team are committed to providing the highest quality care in a safe and friendly environment. If you have missing teeth or non-viable teeth that will need to be extracted, schedule a consultation with Dr. Molayem to find out if a fixed bridge is the recommended treatment for you.

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Practice Policy Update Regarding COVID-19

May 2020

Dear Valued Patient:

We hope this letter finds you and your family in good health. Our community has been through a lot over the last few months, and all of us are looking forward to resuming our normal habits and routines. While many things have changed, one thing has remained the same: our commitment to your safety.

Infection control has always been a top priority for our practice and you may have seen this during your visits to our office. Our infection control processes are made so that when you receive care, it’s both safe and comfortable. We want to tell you about the infection control procedures we follow in our practice to keep patients and staff safe.

Our office follows infection control recommendations made by the American Dental Association (ADA), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). We follow the activities of these agencies so that we are up-to-date on any new rulings or guidance that may be issued.

You may see some changes when it is time for your next appointment. We made these changes to help protect our patients and staff. For example:

All patients must wear a mask when entering the office.

Anyone accompanying you will be asked to wait in their vehicle.

Our office will communicate with you beforehand to ask some screening questions. You’ll be asked those same questions again when you are in the office.

Upon arrival at your appointment your temperature will be taken for the safety of all staff and patients.

Prior to receiving treatment you will be asked to rinse with an antimicrobial for a minimum of 30 seconds

We have hand sanitizer that we will ask you to use when you enter the office. You will also find some in the reception area and other places in the office for you to use as needed.

You may see that our waiting room will no longer offer magazines, and so forth, since those items are difficult to clean and disinfect.

UV Air purifiers have been placed throughout the office.

Appointments will be managed to allow for social distancing between patients. That might mean that you’re offered fewer options for scheduling your appointment.

We will do our best to allow greater time between patients to reduce waiting times for you, as well as to reduce the number of patients in the reception area at any one time, so we ask that you do your best to be on time.

We look forward to seeing you again and are happy to answer any questions you may have about the steps we take to keep you, and every patient, safe in our practice. To make an appointment, please call our office at (626)798-7834 or visit our website at pasadenasmilecenter@yahoo.com.

Thank you for being our patient. We value your trust and loyalty and look forward to welcoming back our patients, neighbors and friends.

Sincerely, Niloufar Molayem, D.D.S. & Team