Types and Uses of Dental Bridges

Types and Uses of Dental Bridges

Feb 01, 2021

If you have missing teeth, you might be in dire need of a dental bridge treatment. A dental bridge is a prosthetic made of two or more crowns attached in a series and is laced over the gap of a missing tooth to replace it. Dental bridges in Raritan, NJ, can also be used with a dental implant as the false tooth.

You might need a dental impact if you have one or more missing teeth. Tooth loss is mainly caused by tooth decay developing from cavities, gum disease, and injuries. However, not everyone can get a dental bridge. To qualify for one, you need to have healthy teeth on either side of the missing tooth.

What Does It look like?

A typical dental bridge has the following parts

  • Abutment teeth – A Korea Family Dental professional has two crowns placed on each side of the gap to hold a false tooth in the middle. The anchoring teeth to the abutment teeth can be your natural teeth’ crowns or a dental implant.
  • Pontic – This refers to the false tooth that’s placed between the abutment teeth and fills the missing tooth gap.

What are the Different Types of Bridges?

Currently, there are four main types of dental bridges namely:

  • Traditional Dental Bridge

This is the conventional type of dental bridge that consists of a false tooth or teeth held in place by crowns placed on either side and cemented on the abutment teeth for support. They are the most common types of bridges. They are at times called porcelain bridges, as they are mostly porcelain made or porcelain-fide-with-metal.

  • Cantilever Bridges

This is similar to a traditional porcelain bridge but is used when the patient has only one healthy tooth on the side of the missing tooth gap. Here, the dentist in Raritan, NJ, attaches the support crown to only one abutment tooth.

  • Maryland Dental Bridge

Maryland dental bridges in Raritan, NJ are just like traditional dental bridges in that they require that the patent have two healthy abutment teeth on either side of the gap. The difference is that while traditional bridges use teeth crowns, Maryland Dental Bridges use a metal or porcelain framework attached at the back of the abutment teeth to offer support.

Maryland dental bridge can only be used when one has healthy teeth on both sides of the missing tooth gap.

  • Implant-Supported Dental Bridge

As the name suggests, this type of tooth bridge uses dental implants instead of crowns and frameworks. what happens is that a tooth implant is placed for every missing tooth and the implants are used to hold the tooth bridge into position. If it’s not possible t place an implant for every missing tooth, you can have a pontic suspended between every two implants placed.

This type is considered the sturdiest and most stable bridgework system. To place it, two surgeries are needed: one to insert the implant in the jawbone and a second surgery to insert the bridge.

This procedure can take months to be completely done.

Why Would I need Dental Bridge?

  • Aesthetic Reasons

Among the top reasons, people get dental implants if to restore a beautiful smile and preserve the shape and structure of teeth. Gaps between teeth are not only unsightly but can make you look older.

Having a complete smile can even give you more confidence as a person. Front teeth bridges are especially meant for this purpose. Dental bridges also prevent the sidelining teeth from shifting in position into the gapped area, which would affect the shape of your jaw.

At times, if you so wish, a temporary dental bridge can be issue to preserve your aesthetic look as the real dental bridge is processed.

  • Functional Reasons

Dental bridges can also be used to improve the functioning of the mouth. How so? People with missing teeth often find it problematic to chew food and pronounce certain words when speaking. The speech function can drop one’s self-esteem. Filling the missing tooth gaps in the mouth can therefore restore and improve your speech and chewing ability.

Additionally, a dental bridge effectively assists in distributing the biting forces of the mouth. This is important in maintaining the strength of other teeth and keeping them healthy to prevent other problems in the future.

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