Your new bridge effectively restores the structure appearance and function of a lost tooth. While it is made of artificial materials that are not subject to tooth decay, your bridge will still need to be part of your daily oral hygiene routine.
Plaque and residual food particles that are not cleaned from your teeth and gum line will eventually harden into tartar. This greatly increases your chances of developing periodontal disease. If left unchecked, periodontal disease will start to cause your gums to pull back from the base of your teeth. This allows pockets of infection to form deep in the gums near the roots of abutments that anchor your bridge in place. In time, bacteria could work their way into seams where your bridge is cemented to one or both of the abutments. It could even weaken the bone structure anchoring one or both abutments into your jaw.
Brushing and flossing your teeth, as well as the bridge, twice each day, can clear away food particles and plaque before they harden into tartar. If you’re having trouble cleaning in and around the bridge you might want to try using an interdental brush, or a floss threader with waxy floss or a dental water jet.
You can then rinse your mouth with antiseptic mouthwash to wash away loose food particles and kill residual bacteria.
If you have questions about how to clean your bridge, feel free to call us at [phone] to schedule an appointment.