Bridge the Gap and Smile Confidently with Dental Bridges

As a child, did you fall and break a tooth? Does the gap between your teeth make you look ugly? If the answer to that is a resounding ‘yes’, then you can opt for dental bridges. Dental bridge is the name given to a dental procedure through which the gap between one or two missing teeth is filled. A dental bridge is actually a fixed partial denture that acts as a replacement for missing teeth. A dental bridge cannot be removed by the patient. The replacement tooth is flanked by the crowns for the abutment teeth, which is referred to as a pontic. The pontics or the false teeth can be made of gold, porcelain, alloys or a combination of these materials. Dental bridges are provided support by implants or natural teeth.

Why opt for dental bridges

Dental bridges help you get a perfect smile and it also can restore your ability to speak and chew properly. Other benefits of having dental bridges are that it can maintain the shape of your jaw line and prevent the remaining teeth from getting out of their position. It replaces missing teeth perfectly and distributes the force of your bite evenly.

Three main types of dental bridges

• Traditional bridges create a crown for the tooth or an implant on the side of the missing tooth, accompanied with a pontic in between. These bridges are the most commonly used dental bridges. A traditional bridge is made of ceramics or porcelain fused with metal.
• Maryland bonded bridges also referred to as Maryland bridges or resin-bonded bridges are made of plastic gums and teeth which are supported by a metal framework. Metal wings are provided on both sides of the bridge and bonded to your existing teeth.
• Cantilever bridges are used for a patient who has adjacent teeth on a single side of a missing tooth or missing teeth.

The procedure

Dental bridges can be implanted over multiple visits. On the first visit to the dentist, the patient is given local anesthesia and the dentist recontours the abutment teeth making it suitable for crowns to fit over them. Teeth impressions of the patient are taken by the dentist for the creation of the dental bridge. A temporary bridge is provided for acting as a shield for the exposed teeth till the final dental bridge is made. On the second visit, the dentist removes the temporary bridge and replaces it with the permanent bridge. For ensuring a proper bite, more visits to the dentist may be required. After about two weeks, the bridge is cemented permanently in place. Dental bridges can last for a number of years, if you adopt good oral hygiene and dental care habits.