Dental bridges consist of two crowns where some space is left in between and each of the crowns is placed on either side of the gap. There is an existence of a false tooth between these anchoring teeth. The false teeth are called Pontics and they are made up of different materials such as porcelain, gold, alloys, and combination of other materials present. These bridges are supported by natural teeth or dental implants.
Benefits of dental bridges are mentioned below:
- Your smile will be restored.
- Will prevent your teeth from drifting out of the position.
- Will maintain the exact shape of your face.
- By replacing the missing teeth, it would help distribute the forces in your bite.
- Will also help you to speak properly and chew better.
A bridge is commonly known as a fixed removable denture which is used to replace one or more teeth. Natural teeth, implants, and the combination of both will help in supporting these bridges. You can easily ask for a traditional bridge which is made up of two crowns on either side of a false tooth in between them. Since these crowns are supported by natural teeth and implants, the Pontics will be attached to the crowns and fill the gap in between.
There are three different types of dental bridges available:
- Cantilever bridges – This type of bridge is used when there are adjacent teeth on just one side of the missing teeth. This is not very popular and they are not recommended in the back of the mouth where there is a chance of the bridges to put too much force on other teeth and damage them.
- Traditional bridges – They involve creating a crown for the implant or tooth on either of the pontic. These traditional bridges are the most common type of bridge and are made of either ceramics or porcelain fused to metal.
- Maryland bonded bridges – They are also called Maryland bridges or resin-bonded bridges. These bridges are made of porcelain-fused-to-metal, porcelain, plastic teeth and gums which are supported by a porcelain or metal framework. Porcelain or metal wings on just one side of the bridge are bonded to the existing teeth of that person.
The abutment teeth are prepared during the initial visit to the dentist for getting a dental bridge. By removing a portion of the enamel, preparation is done and also involves re-contouring these teeth to create room for the crown to be placed over them. Then, this is followed by taking impressions of the teeth and serve as a model from which the pontic, bridge, and crowns will be made by a dental laboratory. A temporary bridge will be provided by the dentist in order to protect the exposed teeth and gums while the custom-made bridge is made.
A new porcelain or metal bridge will be placed on to the teeth after removing the temporary bridge during the second visit. To achieve a proper fit, the metal or porcelain bridge will be checked and adjusted.