Dental Bridges
Dental Bridges
How about that dazzling smile you always wanted?
Dental bridges bridge
the gap created by one or more missing teeth.
A bridge is made up of two or more crowns for the teeth on either side of the gap; these two or more anchoring teeth are called abutment teeth, and a false tooth/teeth in between. These false teeth are called pontics and can be made from gold, alloys, porcelain, or a combination of these materials. Dental bridges are supported by natural teeth or implants.
- Traditional bridges
involve creating a crown for the tooth or implant on either side of the missing tooth, with a pontic in between. Traditional bridges are the most common type of bridge and are made of either porcelain fused to metal or ceramics.
- Cantilever bridges
are used when there are adjacent teeth on only one side of the missing tooth or teeth. This is not very common any more and is not recommended in the back of the mouth where it can put too much force on other teeth and damage them.
- Resin-bonded bridges
are made of porcelain, porcelain fused to metal, or plastic teeth and gums supported by a metal or porcelain framework. Metal or porcelain wings often on just one side of the bridge are bonded to your existing teeth.
With good oral hygiene and regular checkups, it is not unusual for the life span of a fixed bridge to be over 10 years.
Bridges can:
- Restore your smile
- Restore the ability to properly chew and speak
- Maintain the shape of your face
- Distribute the forces in your bite properly by replacing missing teeth
- Prevent remaining teeth from drifting out of position