Bridges

It may be more difficult to speak, chew, and eat as normal, and you may feel embarrassed about your smile because of the gaps left by missing teeth.

To replace your missing teeth, and restore your smile and self-confidence, your dentist may recommend a dental bridge. A bridge is used to replace one missing tooth or a couple of missing teeth in a row. When in place, a bridge can improve your smile by:

• Restoring the natural shape and volume of your face
• Improving your ability to properly chew, speak, and eat
• Enhancing the beauty of your smile
• Preventing the remaining teeth from moving into the space left by the missing teeth
• Relieving uneven stress on the bite
• Replacing an unwanted removable partial denture

Conventional Fixed Bridge

A fixed bridge is the most common type of dental bridge as it provides a strong, durable way to replace one or two adjacent teeth. The prosthesis used for a fixed bridge consists of a crown on either side and one or two pontics (artificial teeth) in the middle. The crowns are hollow and fit over the neighbouring teeth to secure the bridge in place.

Cantilever Bridge

A cantilever bridge is attached via a crown on just one of the adjacent teeth. This type of bridge might be used when there is only one natural tooth next to a missing tooth.

One benefit of cantilever bridges is they only require one healthy tooth to be drilled into an abutment. On the other hand, they aren't as strong as a bridge with two supporting crowns. They can place extra pressure on the supporting tooth, leading to more problems later on. As such, cantilever bridges are usually not used in locations that take a lot of pressure from biting and chewing.

Maryland Bridge

When there is only one tooth to replace, your dentist may fit a resin-bonded bridge (also called a Maryland bridge).

Rather than being fitted over the adjacent teeth with crowns, this type of bridge has metal or porcelain ‘wings' on each side which are bonded to the inner edge of the adjacent teeth.

A bonded bridge of course has the advantage of preserving the healthy adjacent teeth. The main downside is that it won't be as strong as a fixed bridge. Over time the adhesive holding it in place can weaken, causing the bridge to break off or become loose.

With any type of bridge for teeth, it is only the crown of the tooth that is being replaced. The root remains absent, and this can cause the jawbone to recede over time.

Long-term, this may cause sagging around the face. If you choose to have implants at a later date, you may first need a bone graft. This is really the main dental bridge problem that patients need to be aware of.