What Are Dental Bridges? An Inside Look at the Types, Procedure, and More

Having missing teeth can affect the quality of your life. Your self-confidence can plummet, you might not enjoy your favorite meals, and you can be at risk of developing other oral health problems.

One of the quickest ways of turning things around is by undergoing the dental bridge treatment procedure. Dental bridges offered at our dental office are an excellent way of closing the gaps caused by missing teeth.

Even though there are a myriad of reasons as to why people have missing teeth, there is no need to put your oral health in jeopardy. So, let’s see why your oral health might need a dental bridge.

Why Do You Need a Dental Bridge?

Tooth bridges have been used for a long time, even before dental implants came into the picture. As you already know, dental bridges are used to replace missing teeth. This is because living with missing teeth can be detrimental to your oral health.

Your teeth have several significant roles that they play. Your mouth was never made to have big gaps. Teeth were designed to work in concert so that you can speak, chew, and even smile. When you lose a tooth, the nearby teeth may begin to shift and become crooked trying to fill the gap. In addition, your teeth in the opposite jaw may shift into the gap.

When the above issues happen, you may face the following:

• Chewing difficulties.
• Bite problems.
• Self-consciousness due to poor oral aesthetics.
• Pain from extra stress on your jaw.
• Sagging facial muscles.

What Does a Typical Bridge Look Like?

A tooth bridge is a permanent dental appliance that is made of several pieces that are joined together to fit into the empty socket where your tooth used to be. A typical bridge consists of:

• Pontics. This is a replacement or false tooth that fills the space where your tooth has occupied.
• Crowns. Two crowns are fixed on either side of the pontic. They are used to hold the pontic in place.
• Abutment teeth. Technically, the abutment teeth are not a part of a dental bridge since they are the natural teeth adjacent to the empty socket. However, they are used as the supporting or anchoring teeth that hold the bridge in place. The anchoring teeth can be your natural teeth or dental implants.

Types of Dental Bridges

We have four types of bridges, and they are:

• Traditional fixed bridge. By far, this is the most popular choice. It has two crowns attached on either side of the false tooth (pontic).
• Resin-bonded bridge. This is also referred to as the Maryland bridge and is used to replace the front teeth. This is because they are not as sturdy as the other bridges. Also, they have a pontic attached to porcelain or metal frameworks instead of crowns. The metal framework is fixed on the back of your teeth on either side of the gap.
• Cantilever bridge. They are not that common these days. However, they have one crown attached to the pontic instead of two, as is the case with conventional bridges.
• Implant-supported bridge. This bridge is no different from the traditional fixed bridge. However, the glaring difference is that the bridge is fixed on dental implants instead of your natural teeth.

Acquiring Dental Bridges

If you are going for the Maryland bridge, you may require fewer dental appointments than the other three types of bridges. This is because your teeth don’t have to be prepared. In any case, dental impressions must be taken so that you may get a customized dental bridge.

Traditional and Cantilever Bridge

The dental bridge treatment procedure is the same when you are going for the traditional and cantilever bridge. Our dentist will shape the abutment teeth to accommodate the crowns.

You will be given temporary crowns to cover the prepared teeth while you wait until the next visit to get your permanent dental bridge. During your later appointment, the temporary crowns will be removed and then, the bridge will be permanently cemented in place.

Maryland Bridge

For Maryland bridges, the abutment teeth will need to be etched on the backside to allow the metal framework to bond to them.

Implant-Supported Bridge

You will have to undergo surgery for our dentist to place implants in your jawbone. After the surgery, you will be given a few months to heal. Then, you will come back to receive your dental bridge.

Getting a bridge for a missing tooth is an excellent idea. Contact us at Beverly Dental Group for dental bridges dentistry and other dental services.