Dental Bridges

A bridge is a permanent dental appliance that replaces one or more natural missing teeth and cannot be taken out of the mouth by the patient. A fixed bridge is a device that typically consists of three units - o pontic (a false tooth) fused between two crowns that are cemented onto the abutment teeth.

Materials of dental bridges

• Porcelain fused to metal
• All porcelain
• All metal

Advantages of dental bridges

• Restores your smile
• Restores your ability to properly chew and speak
• Maintains the shape of your face
• Distributes the forces in your bite properly by replacing missing teeth
• Prevents remaining teeth from drifting out of position
• Helps preserve the natural function and position of the teeth
• Restores and maintains natural bite

Procedure for dental bridges

• The first appointment consists of the dentist reducing the adjacent abutment teeth that will act as anchors, then impressions are made.
• The second appointment, the final bridge is fitted over the teeth and permanently cemented. The total treatment time is usually 3 - 7 days depending on the type of bridge.

Care of dental bridges
It is very important to keep proper oral hygiene at home by brushing and proper flossing. If you do not control the buildup of food debris and plague your teeth and gums can become infected, requiring further treatment and resulting in possible loss of the bridge to remove bacteria from hard to reach spaces between the bridge and adjacent teeth and gums floss treaders are also recommend. If you maintain optimal oral hygiene care, you can expect your fixed bridge to last as many as 8-10 years, or even longer.