Everything You Should Know about Dental bridges

Everything You Should Know about Dental bridges

Jan 02, 2020

Understanding more about your health condition is the best way to ensure you are doing your best to improve it. Dental care in modern dentistry can fix many oral problems simply and faster. The only challenge is that people have limited information about what their options are. For example, if you are missing a tooth or two, dentures are not the only viable alternative. Dental bridges can achieve just as many results and improve the quality of your dental system.

​What Are Dental Bridges?

They are dental fixtures used in closing gaps between teeth, caused by loss of teeth. When patients lose one or more teeth, dental bridges are a suitable solution for closing the gaps.

The dental bridges feature one or two dental crowns, as well as an artificial tooth. The artificial tooth meant to replace the missing tooth is known as a pontic. The pontic cannot survive on its own. It requires reinforcement, which is where the dental crowns, among other appliances, are used.

An oral bridge can be used on either the back or front teeth. However, some types of oral bridges are better for front teeth than back teeth, and vice versa.

​Types of Dental Bridges

Depending on how the bridge is supported in your mouth, the types of dental bridges differ. The different types of dental bridges include the following:

  • Traditional bridges – it is the most common type of bridge. It entails attaching an artificial tooth to dental crowns. The two tooth crowns are usually worn over the adjacent teeth of the missing tooth. This type of bridge can either feature Ceramics or porcelain fused to metal.
  • Cantilever bridges – are a little similar to traditional bridges. However, instead of finding anchorage in two adjacent teeth, cantilever bridges can be stable with single-tooth support. This means that a dental crown is worn over one of the adjacent teeth to support the pontic. Since the stability cannot be compared to that of traditional bridges, dentists do not recommend these bridges for back teeth. It is because the back teeth have to deal with a lot of pressure and tension from regular chewing. They are, therefore, used mostly for front teeth.
  • Maryland bonded bridges – feature resin-bonded bridges. The porcelain material of this dental bridge is bonded to a metal framework. The metal framework is often attached to one side of the adjacent tooth to support the oral bridge.

​When Do You Need Dental Bridges?

It is not every day that a dentist recommends dental bridges. The bridges are used majorly for patients with missing teeth. Oral bridges can be used for a single missing tooth or multiple teeth.

Even though there are other alternatives for fixing missing teeth, dental bridges are still a reliable alternative for restoring the function of your teeth.

The ​Process for Getting a Dental Bridge

The process of having dental bridges installed involves the dental bonding process. The preparation of the target area is the initial stage of the procedure. The adjacent tooth or teeth to support the artificial tooth is shaved to create room for the dental crown. However, this preparation stage will vary depending on the type of dental bridge being used.

The next step involves taking impressions of your teeth. These impressions will allow your dentist to come up with a customized size of pontic as well as dental crowns for the oral bridge.

You have to follow through with a second visit from which the dental bridge will be attached to your mouth. The attachment involves the use of special dental glue to adhere to the crowns to the adjacent teeth and secure the pontic in place.

When To Replace Dental Bridges

The longevity of a dental bridge differs from one patient to another. Typically, an oral bridge should last between 5 to 15 years. However, some bridges wear down sooner, while others can stretch out longer than 15 years. It depends on how well you care for your teeth following your treatment.

Should your artificial tooth or teeth begin to wear out, do not hold yourself from contacting your dentist. However, anything you can do to care for your teeth is highly encouraged, if you are to enjoy your results for a long time.

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