Replacing missing teeth is a more common procedure than you may think. Many patients visit Etwall Dental Practice, concerned with the look of their smile. When patients have poor oral health and do not regularly practice dental care, they run the risk of ultimately losing teeth through the likes of gum disease. Added to that the risk of injury or sporting accident, dental bridge procedures are now frequently requested by many.

What Is A Dental Bridge?

A dental bridge quite literally bridges the gap left by missing teeth in your mouth. The bridge itself is a false tooth, commonly referred to as a pontic, that is held in place by the abutment teeth on either side of the gap. The abutment teeth are your natural teeth or dental implants.

Pontics can be made of a variety of materials such as gold, alloys, porcelain, or a combination of these materials. Typically they’re made from porcelain, to ensure an aesthetic blend with your natural teeth.

What Types of Dental Bridges Are Available?

There are four main types of dental bridges available to patients: traditional, cantilever, Maryland & implant-supported.

A traditional dental bridge is a false tooth being held in place by dental crowns, that are situated on the abutment teeth. This procedure will be used when patients have natural teeth on both sides of the gap created by a missing tooth.

A very similar treatment to the traditional dental bridge, a cantilever dental bridge is held in place by a dental crown, which is cemented to just one abutment tooth. For this procedure, a patient would only need a singular natural tooth next to the gap.

Maryland dental bridges again operate in a similar way to traditional bridges. They make use of the two natural abutment teeth on each side of the gap. The key difference is that, instead of using dental crowns, the Maryland bridge uses either porcelain or metal, which is bonded to the backs of the abutment teeth. This treatment can only be used when a patient has both natural teeth on each side of the gap.

As its name implies, implant-supported bridges use dental implants, rather than crowns or frameworks. In a usual circumstance, one implant is surgically placed for every missing tooth, which holds the bridge in position. When one implant for each missing tooth isn’t possible, pontics will be suspended between two implant-supported crowns.

What Are The Benefits of Dental Bridges?

Dental bridges offer a long-term solution for missing teeth. Dental bridges can replace missing teeth without surgery, which makes them a preferred procedure to dental implants. With porcelain finishes available, a new false tooth will be almost indistinguishable from the natural teeth surrounding it.

Dental bridges offer the following benefits:

• Restoring your ability to properly chew
• Restoring speech and pronunciation
• Maintaining the shape of your face
• Re-adjusting your bite to properly distribute force
• Keeping remaining teeth in the correct position

What Is The Process For Getting A Dental Bridge?

After an initial consultation, Etwall Dental Practice dentists will take an impression of your mouth. A plaster mould will be taken of your teeth and gums, so your dental bridge is unique to your mouth. This is the point where our dentists will determine the colour shade for your bridge, so it closely matches your natural teeth. Whilst your custom-made bridge is being crafted, our dentists may fit a temporary solution, such as a plastic bridge or crown.

Once it’s time to fit your new bridge, a local anaesthetic will be administered, blocking any pain from your gums. You will, however, remain awake during the procedure. Our dentists will ensure there is a comfortable fit and that you can bite correctly with the bridge in place.

Maintain your oral health or get expert medical advice from Etwall Dental Practice, today. If you feel as though you may require dental treatment, please get in touch with us via phone on 01283 733391 or fill out our contact form and a member of the team will get back to you as soon as possible.