Dental bridges

What are dental bridges?

Dental bridges span gaps where teeth have been lost, and we can think of them as a series of linked crowns.

Dental bridges can restore smiles and help preserve the ability to chew properly. They maintain facial shape, prevent remaining teeth from ‘drifting’ and distribute the weight of the bite evenly.

dental bridges

The image depicts a dental bridge with adjacent crowns

Can I have a bridge fitted straight after having a tooth extracted?

No. It can take up to six months for your gums to heal properly after an extraction. During this time you may require a temporary denture before we fit the bridge. Our dentists will advise.

Can dental bridges always replace lost teeth?

We can only consider dental bridges if you have enough strong teeth with good bone support. Our dentists will advise and if bridgework is not suitable, will explain your other options.

How are crowns and bridges made?

Before a dental bridge can be made, supporting teeth, need to be prepared by making them a little smaller so the crown anchor points can fit over them. After this procedure, we will take an impression to provide an exact mould for the technicians to manufacture the prosthetic.

If we use porcelain, our dentists will determine the correct shade for the crown or bridge to match the colour of existing teeth.

Temporary crowns are usually fixed over the prepared teeth to protect the dental work while we manufacture the bridge.

Types of dental bridges

Traditional dental bridges involve creating a crown for the tooth or implant on either side of the missing tooth, with a replacement tooth between them. These are the most common type of bridge and are made of either gold, porcelain, fused to metal or ceramics.

Cantilever dental bridges are used in areas of the mouth that are under less stress and when there are adjacent teeth on one side only of the missing tooth or teeth.

Maryland bonded bridges – also called a resin-bonded bridge or a Maryland bridge – consist of a false tooth which has been bonded to a set of attachment ‘wings’ on either side.

These fixings are used to bond the prosthetic to adjacent teeth.

Dental bridges - Cantilever bridges

Image depicts a Cantilever dental bridge

Alternatives to dental bridges

We can replace a single missing tooth or missing teeth with dental implants, which is the preferred clinical approach. Fitting dental implants allows healthy adjacent teeth to remain untouched.

Want to know more?

Are you considering dental bridges? Come and have a consultation with North Street Dental in Dudley, West Midlands. To arrange your consultation call us on 01384 254 067 or email us from the contact page.

Give us a call 01384 254067

Do you have missing teeth?

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