You will be unable to floss as you usually would with individual
teeth, since you now have 3 or more teeth joined together. Floss
threaders and superfloss are used to feed the floss underneath the
bridge. Then slide the floss back and forth underneath the pontics
(floating teeth in the middle). Be sure to clean into the sulcus
(the gum tissue that surrounds your tooth) on the supporting teeth.
Then gently pull the floss out the side towards the front. Other
cleaning aids such as rubber tips and/or sulca brushes are also
very useful to clean, below the gumline, around the teeth
supporting the bridge.
It is important to keep a temporary bridge very clean, since the
fit to your tooth is not as accurate as a final restoration
Provisional (Temporary) Restorations Provisional crowns and fixed bridges are used to protect the
teeth and to provide a satisfactory appearance while the new
permanent crown(s) and fixed bridge(s) are being fabricated.
A provisional restoration is usually made of acrylic resin, which
is not as strong as the final porcelain/metal restoration. A
provisional is attached to the teeth with temporary cement;
therefore, it is important to minimize the chewing pressure on a
provisional restoration since it can fracture and/or become
dislodged. If this does occur, call our office as soon as
possible for repair or recementation. Waiting can create
unnecessary problems, and may delay your treatment.
