A dental bridge is used to fill gaps caused by missing teeth. It can improve occlusion (the way your teeth fit together), speech, chewing and appearance. It can also help to reduce stress on the adjacent teeth which can lead to deterioration. Gaps can cause unnatural stresses and increase the risk of gum disease, tooth decay and bone loss.

A typical dental bridge is a pontic (false) tooth suspended between two crowns that are anchored onto the natural teeth on either side of the gap. This type of bridge is usually only recommended if the adjacent teeth are in good shape and have sufficient strength to support the bridge. Local anesthetic is used to ensure your comfort during this procedure.

Dental Bridge: Restoring Your Smile with Effective Solutions

During the first visit, the abutment teeth are prepared, which involves shaping these teeth by removing some of their enamel for the crowns to be fitted on them. An impression is then taken of the shaped teeth for the creation of a model which will be used by a dental laboratory to manufacture the pontic and the crowns that will be attached to it.

Sometimes the bridge does not seat correctly. If this is the case, it is usually because the spatial relationship between the abutment teeth and the pontic is incorrect. This can be corrected by sectioning the bridge and then trying each abutment individually. The abutment that fits the best will then be reattached to the pontic.