Dental Bridges
Missing teeth can also cause changes to your facial shape, detract from the ability to speak and pronounce well, and make it difficult to chew and bite properly. It can lead to additional dental problems, such as drifting the remaining teeth out of position. In this case, a dental bridge is a great replacement for a missing tooth or teeth.
What is a dental bridge? A dental bridge is a false tooth attached between two dental crowns. The false tooth/teeth will fill the gap created by the missing tooth and the dental crowns are designed to fit over the teeth on either side of the missing tooth. The physical structure of the bridge is made to perfectly resemble your regular teeth.
Additionally, creation of dental bridges depends on what tooth or teeth need to be replaced. That’s why there are three main types of dental bridges that are available for dental patients:
Traditional fixed bridges: These consist of two or more crowns and a filler tooth/teeth. Attached to one or more crowns is the filler tooth/teeth. These crowns are the ones who are responsible for keeping the bridge in place. Traditional bridge is the most common type among the three and is made of either porcelain fused to metal or ceramics.
Cantilever bridge: This type of bridge that will be used if there are no teeth next to the other side of the missing tooth/teeth.
Maryland bonded bridges: Also known as the resin-bonded bridge or a Maryland bridge. A Maryland bridge is a combination of porcelain fused to metal teeth braced by a metal framework. If involves metal wings on both sides of the bridge that are attached to your existing teeth. This type of bridge is commonly used if you are replacing a missing front tooth or teeth.
