23 Mar What is a Dental Bridge?

A dental bridge can help restore the appearance and functionality of your teeth if you have missing teeth, particularly your front teeth. It fills up the space left by the lost tooth.

Who needs a Dental Bridge?

The loss of a tooth is a severe issue. Your teeth are designed to work so you can talk, chew, and smile. However, the teeth next to the missing tooth may move and straighten out. This could make it more difficult to chew or talk.

Your teeth may no longer be even or in a straight line if a tooth in your upper jaw shifts into the gap left by a lost tooth in your lower jaw. This could change how you bite and strain your jaw joints and teeth more, possibly resulting in pain.

It is also more difficult to clean teeth that have drifted or tipped. This might make gum disease and tooth decay more probable. By bridging the gaps left by missing teeth, dental bridges are meant to stop these problems.

Your dentist can assist you in deciding whether or not you ought to acquire a bridge, depending on your unique requirements and preferences. In addition, your dentist can help you choose the optimum type of bridge for you if you are a candidate for one.

Why do I need a dental bridge?

Your teeth operate as a single dental system. So if you’re missing a tooth, another one might move into the opening. This can cause jaw issues and pain.

When teeth shift to close the gap, you could experience –

• Having trouble chewing
• Having trouble chewing
• Stress-related jaw and tooth pain
• Having concerns about the appearance of your missing teeth or your smile

 

What Does a Dental Bridge Look Like?

A typical dental bridge consists of the following:

Abutment Teeth – On the teeth on either side of the gap, a dentist installs two crowns. Your natural teeth or dental implants may serve as supporting or anchoring teeth.

Pontics – This artificial tooth (or teeth) bridges the space and is attached to the crowns.

What types of dental bridges are available?

There are mainly four different types of dental bridges. They differ by how they are attached to the tooth.

Conventical Bridge

The most common type of dental bridge is a classic one, and you may even be familiar with it. One dental crown is attached to the two teeth on each side of the gap, and a false tooth or teeth fill the space.

This way, the false tooth “bridges” the gap while the dental crowns serve as anchor points. Traditional bridges are strong, which is one of their key advantages. However, the two neighbouring teeth must be modified, which is one of the disadvantages.

Cantilever Bridges

Cantilever dental bridges are structurally different from conventional ones because they only utilize one anchor tooth. As a result, they aren’t as commonly used as other bridges and typically can only be positioned at the front of the mouth.

Since they could put undue stress on a single tooth, cantilever bridges are not recommended for the rear of the mouth. Time and money can be saved by carefully placing a cantilever bridge. However, there are only a few situations where this kind of bridge can be placed safely.

Maryland Bonded Device

A Maryland bonded bridge has the same basic design as a conventional dental bridge but uses a metal or porcelain framework instead of dental crowns as an anchor. With this framework, there is no need to modify the nearby teeth; it is attached to the rear.

In short, Maryland bonded bridges offer a sensible and more cost-effective replacement for conventional bridges. However, the adhesive’s tensile strength determines how strong they are, and metal frameworks can stain teeth.

Implant Supported Bridge

Dental bridges supported by dental implants have the same basic design as conventional bridges but are fixed differently. As a result, implant-supported bridges can fill huge spaces left by several missing teeth without needing nearby teeth.

Dental implants are renowned for their strength, durability, and capacity to restore normal function. However, this dental bridge’s placement process and recovery time are more invasive.

Procedure Details

Your dentist will examine the state of your gums and other missing teeth at your initial visit to determine whether you are a candidate for a dental bridge procedure.

A local anaesthetic is administered to candidates so your dentist can prepare the teeth needed to support the bridge. Your dentist might need to repair the support teeth if they are severely decayed or otherwise damaged before they can be utilized as support teeth.

Your dentist will next use a putty-like material to construct a model of your teeth by taking an impression of the prepared teeth. Finally, an experienced lab technician fabricates your bridge utilizing this model to ensure that it perfectly fits the prepared teeth. To prevent further oral health issues like tooth decay, it’s crucial that your replacement works precisely.

Your dentist will fit you with a temporary bridge while your restoration is being constructed to shield the teeth and gums from damage until your permanent bridge is prepared. You will need to visit the dentist’s office to have the bridge fitted and fixed to finish the procedure.

When should I see my healthcare provider?

Has your bridge examined if you see changes in your bite or if eating gets difficult? Contact your healthcare provider if the area surrounding the bridge is painful, red, swollen, or bleeding.

Sometimes a bridge will not fit properly in your mouth or be the same colour as your surrounding teeth. Visit your dentist as well if your dental bridge is loose.

Although many online resources are available to help you tighten your dental bridge at home, getting professional advice for your health and safety is crucial.

How to care for a dental bridge?

Your dentist will provide you with hygiene instructions after your bridge has been permanently attached so that you can maintain the functionality and durability of your restoration and the health of your teeth and gums.

Using a special floss threader, you can floss over your bridge and between the pontic and the gum tissue below it. It should be used daily to stop plaque and bacteria from forming. In addition, fluoride toothpaste should be used to brush twice a day.

How much does a dental bridge cost?

The cost of a dental bridge depends on multiple different factors, which include –

• the potential need for further operations (such as fillings or root canals) on one or more nearby teeth.
• The lab technicians and dentist’s artistic techniques.
• The dental office’s location.
• The coverage that your dental insurance offers.
• The kind of material the bridge is made of.
• The stages included in the procedure’s preparation.

Depending on the considerations mentioned above, a bridge procedure can cost anywhere from $600 and $1,500 per tooth (Compared with the per-tooth cost of dental implants). Remember that each artificial tooth replacement procedure will cost this amount.

If your bridge has three pontics, you still pay for three prosthetic teeth even though you may replace only one missing tooth. So this example’s price would fall between $2,100 to $4,500.

Your dental bridge can last many years if you practice good oral care and go to the dentist for regular check-ups. In addition, you might be able to work with a third-party financing firm if your dental insurance coverage does not cover treatment or if you are underinsured.