A bridge closes the space left by a missing tooth by anchoring a lifelike replacement to the teeth on either side. It is one of two ways to fill that space, and the other is an implant. Dr. Henry Kim, DMD places both, so the advice is about your teeth and not about which one he happens to sell. The office is about 10 minutes from Itasca, and the first visit is a $99 new-patient exam.
A missing tooth changes how you chew and how your smile looks. Filling the space is about getting both back, and there are two ways to do it.
A bridge does that with a replacement tooth held in place by crowns on the neighboring teeth. An implant does it with a post in the jaw and a crown on top, and it stands on its own without touching the teeth beside it. The page on crowns and bridges covers both restorations, and dental implants for Itasca covers the implant route in detail.
Four questions usually settle it. How healthy are the teeth on either side, and would they be crowned anyway? How much bone is in the space? How many teeth are missing? And what do you want to be doing about this space in ten years?
If the neighboring teeth already carry big fillings or need crowns, a bridge puts that work to use. If they are healthy, an implant leaves them alone. Dr. Kim walks through the trade-offs and the cost of each so you choose with clear eyes, and says plainly when he thinks the implant is the better call.
Worth asking any office, this one included.
A bridge does not replace the root. It sits on the neighboring teeth, which carry the load. That is why those teeth have to be healthy enough to do it.
No promise of how long it lasts. With good hygiene, crowns and bridges commonly last 10 to 15 years or more, and the cleaning visits are where small problems get caught. The guide on how long dental crowns last covers what shortens that.
No pressure toward the bigger option. If a bridge is the right fit, that is what you are offered. If an implant is, you hear why.
The first step is the $99 new-patient exam with X-rays. The cost of a bridge depends on how many teeth are missing and the condition of the teeth on either side, so it is quoted after the scan. You get a written, all-inclusive price for a bridge and for an implant before you decide.
Insurance is checked before you decide: most PPO plans are accepted. Financing is available for bigger plans.
Choosing between a bridge and an implant means weighing trade-offs, and that conversation should be in the language you are most at ease in. The office speaks Vietnamese, Korean and Spanish, covering the scan results, both options and both prices.
From Itasca, head south. Bloomingdale Road brings you nearly door to door in about 10 minutes, with no tollway. The office is at 183 S. Bloomingdale Rd., Suite #102, Bloomingdale, IL 60108, just off Lake Street, with parking at the door.
The Itasca dentist page covers everyday care, and the root canal page is the place to start if the tooth beside the space is still in trouble.
Dr. Henry Kim, DMD, 183 S. Bloomingdale Rd., Suite #102, Bloomingdale, IL 60108. Crowns, bridges and implants are planned and placed in one office. See the bio page or the new patients page.
Google reviewers give the practice 4.8 stars over 126 reviews; read the rest on the reviews page.
“Professional staff and an incredibly clean environment. Our whole family comes here for our dental care and we couldn’t be happier with the service.”
Patrick Ly, Google review
One or more missing teeth in a row. The replacement tooth is held in place by crowns on the teeth either side of the space.
It depends on the teeth beside the space, the bone beneath it and what you want in ten years. Dr. Kim places both and walks through the trade-off and cost of each after the scan.
They carry the load, so yes, they are examined before anything is shaped. If they are not up to it, you are told and the other option is explained.
With good hygiene, crowns and bridges commonly last 10 to 15 years or more, and checks at your cleanings catch small issues early.
The porcelain is shade-matched to the teeth beside it, and the shade is taken on the spot.
It is quoted in writing after the scan, because it depends on how many teeth are missing and the condition of the teeth either side. The $99 exam with X-rays comes first, and financing is available.
Cleaning under the replacement tooth is part of the follow-up plan. The office shows you how at the fitting, and your cleaning visits check the area.
Call (224) 520-8665 or use the contact form and mention the missing tooth.
Book the $99 exam and see a bridge and an implant side by side for your mouth, with both prices in writing. Call (224) 520-8665.
Related pages: crowns and bridges · dental implants for Itasca · when a filling needs a crown · dentures · all services