Getting a dental bridge takes at least two appointments. Dr. Pappas will discuss what you can expect at the time of your consultation to repair or replace a badly damaged or missing tooth. If you have a severely damaged tooth that cannot be saved, the first step in treatment may be to extract the tooth. A traditional dental bridge has two crowns and a pontic (artificial tooth). The crowns and pontic are modeled to replicate your natural teeth. To achieve the optimal shape and fit, we'll take impressions of the area early in your treatment plan. Once you're ready for a dental bridge, the next step is to reduce the teeth that will receive dental crowns and serve as anchors for your artificial tooth. It takes about two weeks from the time Dr. Pappas prepares your teeth for the bridge for the final restoration to be ready. In the interim, the reduced teeth are protected by temporary crowns. At your final visit, this full bridge replaces the temporary restoration, and your natural-looking smile is once again intact!