Los Alamitos and Rossmoor patients drive 15 to 20 minutes to Safari Dentistry and Implants in Huntington Beach for dental bridges made from a digital scan. The consultation compares a bridge, an implant and a partial denture for your gap, with the fee for each written down and your insurance checked first.
What is a dental bridge?
A dental bridge replaces one to three missing teeth with ceramic teeth that are joined to crowns on the teeth either side of the gap. It is fixed in place, not removable, and is made in two visits about two weeks apart. At Safari Dentistry and Implants bridges for Los Alamitos patients are made from an intraoral scan rather than impression trays, and the periodontist checks that the anchor teeth have enough bone and healthy gum to carry the load.
- Traditional bridge: a crown on each side of the gap with the replacement tooth between them; the most common and the strongest.
- Cantilever bridge: anchored on one side only, used where there is a tooth on just one side of the gap and the bite is light.
- Bonded (Maryland) bridge: a replacement tooth with wings bonded to the back of the neighbors; little or no drilling, mainly for front teeth.
- Implant-supported bridge: two implants carrying three or more teeth, for longer gaps; see dental implants.
Why Los Alamitos patients choose Safari for a dental bridge
Los Alamitos patients are frequently sent over by a family dentist for an implant opinion and find out a bridge is also on the table, or the other way round. The periodontist looks at the bone in the gap and the health of the teeth beside it and recommends whichever will last longest in your mouth. The work can be done here or coordinated with your own dentist.
What does a dental bridge cost for Los Alamitos patients?
A bridge is priced per unit: each crown and each replacement tooth counts as one, so a three-unit bridge replaces one tooth. The fee is written down at the consultation, next to the fee for an implant, so the two can be compared. Most PPO and HMO plans pay part of a bridge, often about half; Medi-Cal Dental coverage for fixed bridges is limited, so the front desk checks it before the plan is priced. Monthly payment plans are available.
What to bring to your first visit from Los Alamitos
- Any recent X-rays, or the old bridge if it has come out.
- Your insurance card or Medi-Cal Dental member number; benefits and any missing-tooth clause are checked before the plan is priced.
- The date the tooth was lost or is due to be removed; some plans ask for it.
- Any implant quote you already have, so a bridge and an implant can be compared line by line.
Getting to the office from Los Alamitos
Safari Dentistry and Implants is at 16511 Goldenwest St, Unit 101, Huntington Beach, CA 92647, about 9 miles from Los Alamitos and usually 15 to 20 minutes by car. From Los Alamitos take Katella Ave east to Valley View St, then south; Valley View becomes Bolsa Chica St in Huntington Beach. Turn east on Heil Ave and the office is at the corner of Goldenwest. From Rossmoor, Seal Beach Blvd south to Westminster Blvd, then east to Goldenwest, is about the same time.
- Hours: Monday to Thursday, 10 AM to 4 PM. Same-day emergency time is held each open day.
- Parking: free, in the lot at the door, with a level entrance.
- Patients come from: Rossmoor, the neighborhoods near Los Alamitos Medical Center, the Joint Forces Training Base side of town and the Katella and Los Alamitos Blvd district.