What is a dental bridge?

In the area of cosmetic dentistry, dental bridges fall under the category of restorations for single tooth replacement. The role of the dental bridge is to literally bridge the gap between missing teeth.

Three types of dental bridges

There are three types of dental bridges. At Artistic Dental, our dentists, Dr. John Dougherty and Dr. Prabidhi Adhikari work on a case-by-case basis and review each of these options with our patients. Dr. Dougherty and Dr. Adhikari will put together a conservative treatment plan that will not only look good but is also functional and provides long-term stability.  

1. Traditional or conventional dental bridges: These are the most common type of dental bridges. The conventional dental bridge uses crowns on the teeth next to the empty space that are hooked together to help support the missing tooth. This is typically the treatment of choice if the two other teeth need to have dental crowns for other reasons. 
2. Cantilevered dental bridges: This type of bridge is not very common nowadays. It is not recommended in the back of the mouth, as it can put too much pressure on other teeth and cause damage. This restoration or bridge only uses one tooth next to the empty space to support the missing tooth. 
3. Maryland bonded bridges: This is the most conservative type of restoration and uses the adjacent teeth for support. The bonded bridges are made of porcelain, porcelain fused to metal, or plastic teeth and gums reinforced by a metal or porcelain framework. If the teeth adjacent to the empty space look good and don’t require any other type of dental work, Maryland bonded bridges could be the best option.

The benefits of dental bridges

Dental bridges offer a number of benefits including:

• Smile restoration
• Helping patients regain the ability to properly chew and speak again
• Preventing other teeth in the mouth from drifting out of position
• Restoration and maintaining the shape of the patient’s face
• Distributing the forces in the bite properly by replacing missing teeth

Like all dental treatments, the amount of force placed on your teeth can have an effect on the long-term certainty of dental bridges and it should be assessed by you and your dentist.

If you would like to learn if you are a suitable candidate for a dental bridge, you can book an appointment for a consultation and meet with Dr. John Dougherty or Dr. Pradibhi Adhikari. This is the first step to restoring a more confident and healthy smile.