What Is A Dental Bridge?

In 2018, adults living in Australia were missing an average of 6.4 teeth from their mouths. Younger individuals missed only an average of 2.5 teeth, while seniors were missing 13.7 of them.

When you lose an adult tooth, there’s only so much you can do to fix it. Dental implants are costly but effective, and dentures are often a last resort when you’ve lost too many teeth. A dental bridge is a perfect option for filling in holes in an otherwise healthy mouth.

Here’s what you need to know about how dental bridges work and why you should consider one.

What Is a Dental Bridge?

As the name implies, a dental bridge helps to cover the gap between two teeth. This is most commonly needed when you get a molar removed due to something like a bad infection. Instead of paying for a costly implant, your dentist can use a bridge to restore your mouth’s appearance and functionality.

The only caveat is that the process requires two healthy teeth adjacent to a gap where a real tooth once resided. It can bridge a gap of up to four consecutive teeth, but it’s most commonly used on molars. Additionally, the anchoring teeth must be filed down to fit the bridge on top of them.

Types of Bridges

There are three main types of bridges you can encounter. Some of the materials that make them up include porcelain, ceramics, and composites.

Traditional fixed bridges create a filler tooth. Crowns are placed on the teeth adjacent to the empty spot to secure them in place.

Cantilever bridges are placed in areas where there are no teeth on one side. It is solely supported on one side by one or more teeth.

Maryland bonded bridges replace your front teeth. It is secured by using metal wings placed behind the neighbouring teeth.

Benefits of Dental Bridges

The first benefit to expect is that it may cost less to have a bridge. Instead of getting an expensive root canal and crown, a tooth that is removed can later have a bridge as a replacement instead of an implant. Dental implants are also a more significant investment to achieve a similar appearance: in terms of down time, they require a surgical procedure to be performed and a few months of healing before being ready to have the new implant crown placed.

In addition, it can be a simpler process to get a bridge placed than to try and save a severely damaged tooth. The recovery time is much shorter, and the overall procedure is less painful.

Finally, a dental bridge candidate can avoid their adjacent teeth moving into the empty space. This can cause issues with your bite and increase the risk of infection from food and bacterial entrapment between teeth that have suffered gaps.

Ask Your Dentist About Bridges

A dental bridge is a good option if you need a tooth pulled but can’t afford a dental implant. It restores the appearance of your smile, fixes your bite, and ensures that your teeth won’t shift over time. As always, make sure that you speak with your dentist at length about cosmetic dentistry options.

The Bondi Dentists offer a broad range of treatments from general dentistry to cosmetic dentistry in New South Wales. We also collaborate with a wide network of specialists in other areas. Contact us with any questions and to set up an appointment.