Dental Bridges

Bridges are used extensively by dentists as they are a good way of filling missing gaps in your teeth.

If you lose any teeth then the risk is that the teeth on either side of this gap will ‘lean over’ and trap any food deposits. This can cause further tooth decay. Another risk is that of bone loss which will cause the jawbone to shrink and the face to have a ‘sunken in’ appearance.

A bridge can cover that gap and so prevent tooth decay or bone loss. It takes the form of a false tooth or ‘pontic’ which is inserted into the gap and is attached to the teeth on either side via metal bands. These metal bands are held firmly in place using cement or resin.

There are 3 types of bridge:

  1. Cantilever: this is usually placed on the front teeth. It is fixed to one or several healthy teeth on one side of a gap.
  2. Fixed: this is where the false tooth is fixed to new crowns which are then attached to the teeth on either side of a gap. The crowns tend to be made from porcelain and so form a very strong bridge.
  3. Resin Bonded: these are ideal when there is very little damage to the teeth on either side of a gap. They do not require any crowns and are attached to these teeth by metal bands. This is also suitable for front teeth.

Dental bridges are still cared for in the same way as ‘natural’ teeth. They need daily cleaning and flossing, especially the false tooth in order to prevent any further decay.

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