Dental Bridges
A great way to replace missing teeth
The problem
A missing tooth or teeth.
Potential bite and jaw joint problems from teeth shifting to fill the space.
The undesirable "sunken face" look associated with missing teeth.
Desire to upgrade chewing ability.
Desire for a more durable solution than dentures.
The solution
A dental bridge is a single appliance that is generally attached to two teeth on each side of the leak where a tooth is missing. The gap where the missing tooth used to be is filled with an artificial tooth attached in the middle of the bridge. The teeth on either side of the gap are prepared for crowns (see crowns) and a highly precise impression or mold is made of the prepared area. By using this mold a gold or porcelain (tooth colored) bridge is prepared in a special laboratory. The dental bridge is then cemented onto the prepared surface of the teeth, effectively creating the appearance of a brand new tooth.
In some instances, a resin-bonded bridge may also be used. In this case, the two teeth on each side of the gap are not prepared for crowns as usual, but instead, the dental bridge consists of a false tooth with metal brackets on the back of each side of the gap. These brackets are than attached to the backs of the real teeth on each side.
Advantages
Unlike dentures, a fixed bridge is never removed. It is fix in the mouth and works very similar to natural teeth. By filling the gap and stopping the movement of other teeth, a fixed dental bridge is an vise investment, providing better chewing ability, heading off jaw joint problems and saving money that would otherwise be spent on future dental treatment.
Disadvantages
Fixed bridges are excellent restorations, but can also have a few disadvantages. They are highly durable, but they will eventually need to be re-cemented or replaced due to normal wear, after a certain period of time.
For the Visitors from the UK: Dental Bridges