New Hanover County · Since 1987
Dental Bridges in Wrightsville Beach, NC
A bridge fills a gap by anchoring a replacement tooth to the teeth on either side. It is fixed in place, so nothing comes out at night.
- Three doctors, one location
- Sedation available
- Most major plans accepted
- Written estimates before treatment
bridges, explained
Bridges are the established answer to a single missing tooth when the neighboring teeth already need crowns anyway. If those teeth are untouched and healthy, an implant is usually the more conservative choice, and we will tell you that.
Wrightsville Beach patients and this treatment
Wrightsville Beach has the highest household incomes in the region and a resident base that treats a good smile as part of the package.
Patients here tend to want the durable answer rather than the quick one, and they ask good questions about materials and longevity. We are happy to have that conversation in detail.
Summer traffic on Eastwood Road is worth planning around; a morning appointment is a different journey from a four o'clock one in July.
The island's year-round population is small, so almost everyone here already drives into Wilmington for medical appointments.
Harbour Island and the Banks Channel side send us most of our Wrightsville Beach patients, and the drawbridge is the only real variable in the trip.
We see patients from across Wrightsville Beach and the surrounding area, including Johnnie Mercer's Pier, the Loop, Banks Channel and the 28480 ZIP code.
New Hanover County is the built-out core of the region, growing around one percent a year, with roughly 21 percent of residents over 65 and the highest concentration of employer dental coverage in southeastern North Carolina.
We will show you the options at different price points and be clear about which difference you will notice and which you will not.
Twenty minutes over the drawbridge puts you in a chair with a doctor who does this work every week, not a cosmetic clinic that sees veneers twice a year.
You may be a candidate if
- One or two missing teeth in a row
- Healthy teeth on both sides of the gap
- Teeth beside the gap that already have large fillings or crowns
- A preference for fixed rather than removable
- Bone loss that rules out an implant without grafting
What the process looks like
- AssessmentWe check the support teeth, the bone, and whether an implant would serve you better.
- PreparationThe anchor teeth are shaped and we take a digital scan.
- Temporary bridgeYou leave with the gap filled while the lab works.
- Fit and cementWe verify the bite and the fit under the pontic, then cement.
Afterwards
Cleaning under the bridge is the whole game. A floss threader or water flosser daily keeps the tissue healthy and the anchor teeth decay-free. We will show you the technique and check it at every hygiene visit.
Follow-up visits are short and we will schedule them at the start or end of the day if that works better around your week.
What it costs
A three-unit bridge is priced as three crowns, and most plans cover it at the same percentage they cover a single crown. We produce a written estimate against your benefits before treatment and go through payment options if the balance is significant.
We can sequence larger cases across two benefit years where the clinical situation allows it, which puts two annual maximums against the same plan of treatment.
In their own words
Hear from Dr. Barry Frazelle
Dr. Frazelle on why the injection is nothing to dread, and a cheap whitening habit he gives patients.
Questions we get asked
Bridge or implant?
An implant does not involve the neighboring teeth, which is its main advantage. A bridge is faster and does not need bone volume. We look at your specific gap and give you a recommendation.
Will food get stuck under it?
A well-fitted bridge should not trap food, though the space underneath needs daily cleaning by design.
How far is your office from Wrightsville Beach?
About 10 miles, or roughly 20 minutes via Eastwood Road (US-74) over the Heide Trask Drawbridge. We are at 1301 Physicians Dr in Wilmington, with parking at the door.
Do you see patients from Wrightsville Beach?
Regularly. Wrightsville Beach is part of our core service area in New Hanover County, and twenty minutes over the drawbridge puts you in a chair with a doctor who does this work every week, not a cosmetic clinic that sees veneers twice a year.
What are your hours?
Monday through Thursday, 8:00am to 5:00pm, and Friday, 8:00am to 12:00pm. Outside those hours, leave a message or use the appointment request form and we will come back to you with the first available time.
Dental Bridges · Wrightsville Beach, NC
Honest dentistry, since 1987.
We will tell you what needs doing now, what can wait, and what we would leave alone.
- Over 50,000 patients treated since 1987
- Comprehensive new patient exam including oral cancer screening
- Three doctors and a long-tenured team
- Most major dental plans accepted
Been told you need a lot of work somewhere else? Second opinions are welcome and we give them straight.
Request an appointment
We reply the next business day.
Please do not include Protected Health Information. For anything urgent, call (910) 762-0958.
