What is the Dental Bridge Procedure?

A dental bridge is when you have a missing tooth, or teeth, and you and your dentist wish to fill that gap. You can chose to have an implant put in or you can chose the route of a dental bridge. The actual procedure for the installation of the bridge depends on which one of the four varieties you and your dentist have decided on. We’ll describe below the different types and the procedure for each. There are both similarities and differences.

The Types of a Dental Bridge

The most common bridge is called the Traditional Bridge. This is when you have a missing tooth and the two teeth on each side of the gap become anchor teeth or abutment teeth. The procedure starts with an impression made of your teeth. Once that is established the dentist will remove the top layer of the two abutment teeth to allow space or room for a crown to be placed over each tooth. Depending on the material the dental lab will make the crowns in you will chose a shade of enamel or porcelain to maintain a natural looking crown. The crowns are made in the lab, as well as the pontic, or artificial tooth. The crowns are then cemented permanently into place and the pontic is affixed to each crown for permanence as well. The life expectancy of this bridge is 5 to 10 years and frequently lasts much longer.

A second type of dental bridge is the Cantilever Bridge. Much like the traditional, it only has ONE abutment or anchor tooth. The same procedure applies but the pontic is anchored by only one crown. The third kind of bridge is called the Maryland Bridge. Instead of taking two anchor teeth and prepping them for receiving a crown this method uses a metal framework to hold the artificial tooth and then that framework is bonded to the back side of the two abutment teeth. One argument is that you have left the two abutment teeth alone if they are indeed healthy teeth. One disadvantage is the added care in dealing with this metal framework when it comes to brushing and flossing. Although the work is all done in a lab and you may have to look to actually find the metal it is none the less still bonded to your anchor teeth and you will feel that addition with your tongue.

The fourth and final dental bridge is when you are missing more than one tooth and the span is too great to go between your anchor teeth. Then you will need an Implant Supported Bridge. This procedure will take considerably more time since you are now introducing an implant. The implant takes a titanium post to first fuse to your jawbone. After several months and this is completed you will then have the crowns made for the abutment teeth and the two artificial teeth will sit between the implant and the abutment crowns.

As you can see, the procedure for your dental bridge may totally vary on the type of bridge your situation will necessitate.

Learn More About Dental Bridges : Dental Bridges vs Dental Implants