Dental Bridges

A dental bridge is an effective solution for closing any gap in your smile, restoring your mouth functionalities, and enjoying better oral health. The pontic – an artificial tooth placed in the area a natural tooth is missing – is held in place by two crowns positioned on the teeth on both sides of the gap. A tooth bridge can help you regain confidence in your smile and last for many years.

A missing tooth can affect your health in several ways, from denting your confidence to getting in the way of your social life, speech, and ability to chew. If not addressed, it can also change your facial and jaw structure, making it more difficult to restore.

Dental bridges are a straightforward solution to replace a missing tooth in a natural way. Once in place, it is virtually impossible to distinguish the tooth bridge from your natural teeth, and you can go back to fully enjoying all aspects of life. 

There are four main types of dental bridges:

• Traditional – if you have strong, natural teeth on both side of the gap, a traditional fixed bridge allows your dentist to place a crown on each side and cement the pontic tooth in the gap. 
• Cantilever – similar to the traditional bridge, the cantilever fixed bridge uses a single crown, which is placed on only one of the teeth on the side of the gap.
• Maryland – uses metal or porcelain frameworks positioned on both teeth next to the gap, eliminating the need for two extra crowns.
• Implant-supported – this bridge uses implants to keep the pontic artificial teeth in place, and it is considered the strongest and most reliable system. 

Depending on the type of dental bridge most suitable for your needs, your dentist will describe the procedure in detail. Generally, you will be supplied with a local anaesthetic injected into the affected area. Your dentist will then proceed to shape the teeth next to the gap – the ones that will keep the crowns, implants, or metal frameworks in place. 

After taking the impressions of your mouth, your dentist will create a custom-made bridge to fit the aesthetics of your dental structure.

Get in touch today with a specialised dentist at the Dental Health Centre to rediscover your smile.