Dental Bridges & Replacing Your Teeth

Nov 29

When a person is missing one or more teeth but does not require a full set of dentures, dental bridges may be suggested to fill the gap. The number of teeth a dental bridge replaces is determined by a variety of factors.

How do dental bridges work?

Dental bridges are made up of two or more crowns that are attached to the abutment teeth on each end of the gap and link to one or more pontics (artificial teeth). A metal base is commonly used for bridges, which are then coated with porcelain and colored to resemble the natural teeth.

A dental bridge can replace a certain number of teeth

A dental bridge can replace a single tooth, but it's more customary to utilize two, three, four, or more to reconstruct a smile. The more missing teeth there are, the more crowns are required to support the bridge, and the bridge becomes less stable. Implants are used by dentists to reinforce bridges that replace a significant number of teeth or for individuals who do not have strong enough natural teeth to support the bridge. Dental implants can also be utilized to replace gaps that are not contiguous to the bridged area as free-standing teeth.

The advantages of bridges

People frequently choose to have lost front teeth repaired for cosmetic reasons, but replacing back teeth can also be beneficial. The surrounding teeth can shift in the patient's mouth if holes in the gums are left vacant, producing alterations in the bite and occasionally leading in temporomandibular joint diseases. Other visual and practical advantages of bridges include:

Restore the smile's look
Enhance your eating and speaking abilities
Maintain your face's shape
Ensure that the biting forces are distributed evenly

Different types of dental bridges

There are four different types of dental bridges.

Porcelain is melded with ceramic or metal in traditional bridge building. These bridges are made by putting a crown or implant on each side of the missing teeth and a pontic in the middle. This is the most popular bridge type.
When there is only one tooth on one side of the empty space where the lost teeth used to be, cantilever bridges are a good option. Because of the risk of causing harm to the natural teeth, this form of bridge is rarely utilized.
Instead of crowns, Maryland bridges use a pontic that is supported by a metal or porcelain framework linked to the surrounding teeth. Although this bridge does not require crowns, it may not be as robust as a typical bridge.
When more than one or two lost teeth need to be replaced, implant-supported bridges are frequently employed. These bridges are not supported by natural teeth. In most situations, an implant is inserted for each missing tooth; however, if this is not possible, implant-supported crowns can be utilized in the same way that natural teeth are in a typical bridge.

Conclusion

Dental bridges may improve the beauty of the smile as well as the functionality of the teeth when they are used to replace missing teeth. The number of teeth that can be replaced is determined by the type of bridge used and the amount of healthy natural teeth the patient still possesses.