Dental Bridge: Types, Pros and Cons, Cost and Procedure

If you have one or multiple missing teeth, you may have problems when eating or speaking. Missing teeth can also affect your smile appearance, making you feel self-conscious about it. But don’t worry. There are various ways to have your confident smile. Dental bridges are one of the most popular options you can have. This article will go over the different types of dental bridges and help you learn about this teeth replacement including the benefits, cost, and procedure.

What is a dental bridge?

A dental bridge is a fixed restoration that fills the empty spaces of your missing teeth with custom-made false teeth. Similar to its name, a dental bridge helps bridge between healthy teeth, where there is tooth or teeth that are missing. Dentists use your natural teeth (abutment teeth) next to the missing area to anchor the false teeth and hold them in place in between.

If your teeth are worn down and there are not enough natural teeth to anchor your dental bridge, your dentist can use implant-supported bridges. Any dental bridge consists of:

• Pontic: It is the false tooth (artificial tooth) that is seated on your missing tooth. Depending on the number of missing teeth, dentist will fix several pontics in place.
• Abutment tooth: Abutment is your natural teeth around the missing tooth. These natural teeth will anchor the pontic and hold it. For that, your dentist prepares them and makes a strong crown on these natural teeth to bear the pressures and loads of the pontic.

What is dental bridge made of?

You will be happy to know that your bridge is made from biocompatible and cosmetically beautiful materials, which do not have any risks for your oral and dental health. Pontics can be made from all-metal, all-ceramic or metal-ceramic depending on where it should seat and tolerate pressures and load. You can choose the most beautiful materials like porcelain to mask or veneer the outer surface and metal for inner cores for your artificial teeth.

But ceramics like porcelain, new composite materials and zirconia are all beautiful and strong materials that can be used for your dental bridge whether for artificial teeth or for crowns in the neighboring teeth used as anchors. Even there are some people that beauty is not important for their missing back teeth and will go for the all-metal false teeth.

Types of dental bridge

• Traditional tooth-supported bridge: Traditional bridges are the most common bridge type. They use your natural teeth as abutments for anchoring the artificial tooth
• Cantilever fixed bridge: It is similar to a traditional bridge except for one thing. You only need one abutment tooth at one end of the bridgework. Dentists generally use this type of bridge to replace one tooth.
• Implant-supported bridge: If your natural teeth are not healthy enough to hold a bridge in place or if there is a long span of missing teeth (for example missing 3 to 6 teeth), dental bridges that are supported by implants are great options to choose. 
• Maryland dental bridge (resin bonded bridge): Maryland bridge is the least invasive and use bonding techniques to be firm in its place. It is a great choice for younger people. This type of bridge is mainly used when too much dental work on abutment teeth is high risk as in children.

Pros and cons of dental bridge

Pros

• Restores your smile and improves your look
• Improves your speaking and chewing
• Increases your self-esteem and self-confidence. You will no longer hide your smile or cover your gaps with lips because of some lost teeth
• Bridges prevent other teeth to take the space of the missing area, which may cause later treatments like implant to get difficult

Cons

• Your healthy teeth next to the missing area should be prepared for bridge placement, which most people may find it difficult to accept
• Pressures and loads overtime may cause problems for abutment teeth (neighboring teeth) that are used as anchor for bridge retention
• Plaque and tartar can build up around your bridge, which requires regular oral hygiene attention and cleaning
• Needs regular visits if repairing or refitting is necessary or if bridges break    

The procedure to place your dental bridge

You will need 2 appointments to have your bridge prepared and placed on your teeth. Early before starting your bridge-making process, your mouth is checked for any signs of tooth decay, crooked teeth, gum and jaw conditions to give you a better and picture perfect treatment plan. If there is no need for other dental treatments, you will head on to get your bridges.

Dental bridge procedure steps:

• Your dentist prepares the neighboring teeth(abutment teeth) to make enough space for your bridge (first appointment)
• Then your dentist takes the impression of the prepared teeth and the missing teeth area to get the molds (first appointment). Dentists can use computer assisted design/manufacturing (CAD,CAM) to design and make the dental bridges
• Impressions are sent to the lab and you will be wearing temporary bridges to prevent any damages to your teeth while your dental bridge is being prepared
• You will visit the dentist for the placement and cementing your bridge in place (second appointment)
• Your dentist may ask you to visit within the following weeks to check that your bridge is fit in place

Dental bridge lifespan

A dental bridge can last 5 to 10 years and if you care more and maintain a healthy lifestyle by following regular oral hygiene practices, you can still have your bridge up to 20 years. 

Dental Bridge FAQs

How do I care for my dental bridge?

Do not ever skip cleaning and oral hygiene practices when you get dental bridges. You are more likely helping bacteria grow on or around your bridge if you don’t take care for routine oral and dental cleanings. Do these useful caring tips for your bridge:

• Brush twice a day and floss between your teeth to get rid of food debris and prevent plaque and tartar from building up
• Use mouthwashes and mouthrinses for mouth cleaning and to prevent foods and drinks from staining your bridge and other teeth
• Have a balanced eating habit and avoid high-sugary foods and drinks
• Do not bite on harsh and rough foods and fruits, and cut them in pieces before eating in order to prevent damages to your bridge
• Use mouthguard when you play sports