Dental Bridges

Overview

If there is a gap created due to one or more missing teeth, dental bridges help to bridge that gap. A dental bridge, also known as removable denture is supported in three ways- by implants, by natural teeth and by combination of implants and teeth. Traditional dental bridges are done by creating crowns for the teeth on either side of the gap, also called abutment teeth. A false tooth or teeth is placed in the gap, which is called pontic. Patients decide the material for false teeth that can be alloy or porcelain or gold or a combination of all these materials.

Dental bridges have many advantages:

• Restores smile
• Prevents the surrounding teeth from moving out of position
• Evenly distributes forces on bite so that you can eat properly
• Maintains a pleasing appearance
• Restores the ability to speak and chew

There are basically four types of dental bridges discussed below:

Cantilever bridges- The procedure is applicable when there are adjacent teeth on only one side of the missing tooth or teeth. It is mostly recommended for patient in the back of their mouth.

Implant-supported bridges- This is the best option for replacing more than one missing teeth. In this procedure, the bridges are supported by implants, instead of frameworks or crowns. One dental implant is used for every missing tooth and, therefore, a series of implants are used to hold the bridge in place.

Maryland bridge- Unlike traditional bridges, a pontic is held in place of missing tooth/teeth with porcelain or metal framework. There is no need for crowns since there is no need to fill the adjacent teeth.

Traditional bridges- Of all the types of bridges, traditional bridges are the most popular. The bridges are held by crowns and in between there are one or more pontics. The dental crowns on either side of the missing teeth are called abutments. Traditional bridges are done usually when a person has natural teeth on either sides of the gap.

Dental bridging procedure involves two steps: the preparation appointment and the fitting appointment. The first step involves taking the required measures before dental bridges.

Before the Treatment

• The dentist administers local anaesthesia to numb your tooth and the surrounding gum.
• Next, your dentist creates a cylindrical shape for the outer surface of the tooth on which the bridge is placed
• A special dental material, called ‘’putty’’ is used to create an impression of your teeth. After the putty is prepared, it is placed into an impression tray. Then, the putty is put in mouth and pushed against your teeth in order to create an impression. Another impression of your opposite teeth is taken to help the technician understand the process of biting in order to handcraft a dental bridge.
• Meanwhile, a temporary crown is cemented onto the tooth to protect it.
• It takes about 2-3 weeks for the technician to fabricate the permanent bridge in the dental laboratory. Once ready, the patient needs another visit to the clinic for the fitting.

How it is performed

The patient needs to visit the dentist’s clinic once more to get dental bridges performed. Local anaesthesia is administered to numb your tooth and the surrounding gums. The temporary crown is removed and your tooth is washed to remove temporary cements in it. In the final step, your dentist places the new bridge and makes sure it fits correctly. After the patient feels satisfies with his/her appearance, the bridge is permanently cemented to its place.

Recovery

The recovery time of traditional dental bridge is a few days. The patient may feel minor pain in the tooth and gum area where the bridge is cemented. It will take a few days’ time to get adjusted to the new bridge while eating and chewing. You are advised to have soft foods and liquids for a few weeks after the dental bridge procedure and avoid chewy and hard foods.