Here's How To Brush and Floss Around a Dental Bridge

A dental bridge gives you a way to restore lost teeth and fill in the gaps of your smile. It avoids the fiddliness of a denture, which can shift around your mouth and make talking and eating challenging. At the same time, it gives you a fixed replacement tooth without the surgery that a dental implant requires. 

Ultimately, if you want a convenient but long-lasting way to replace missing teeth, dental bridges deliver. With proper care, your bridge can last a decade or longer. 

That’s why Dr. Sujay Trivedi, Dr. Michael Westcott, and our team at Family Dental Care don’t just offer bridges — we also help you learn how to best maintain them. You can visit us in West Palm Beach, Florida, to learn more, but we’ve also teed up some bridge care guidelines here. 

Brushing and flossing around your dental bridge

You don’t need to worry that brushing or flossing will dislodge your bridge. Our team anchors it firmly in your mouth so you can perform your normal dental care routine. In fact, brushing and flossing are key to help your bridge last as long as possible.

The main change that comes with a bridge lies in how you floss around it. Made up of one or more replacement teeth, your bridge is connected to a dental crown on both sides of it. Those crowns go over the natural teeth next to the empty space in your gum line. 

Because the bridge and the crowns are connected, you won’t be able to floss in between them. You should still floss normally on the opposite sides of each crown, though. 

We recommend adding an additional tool to your dental care kit, too. A proxabrush — which looks like a tiny pipe cleaner — lets you clean underneath your bridge. You can get these affordable oral hygiene tools in the dental care aisle at most grocery stores, pharmacies, and big box stores. 

Bridge care tips from the American Dental Association

The American Dental Association (ADA) has some specific tips to help you maintain your bridge, including: 

• Use a soft-bristled toothbrush with the ADA Seal of Acceptance 
• Choose a non-abrasive toothpaste that contains fluoride
• Brush your teeth and bridge as well as your gums, tongue, and the roof of your mouth
• Visit your dentist regularly so they can check your bridge and ensure it’s still firmly affixed in your mouth

In addition to these suggestions from the ADA, you can take extra steps to protect your bridge. To prolong the life of your bridge, you should avoid:

• Excess sugar from food or drinks
• Foods that are hard and sticky
• Eating ice
• Tobacco use

To learn more about dental bridge care, call our Family Dental Care team at 561-556-1698 today, or use our easy online booking tool to schedule a visit at your convenience.