Dental Bridges: Frequently Asked Questions

A study conducted by Canadian Dental Association showed that an average adult has at least three or more decayed or missing teeth. It is, therefore, important to know the correct type of dental bridge that is perfect for you.

Dental bridges, just like your teeth, need to be taken good care of for them to last long. They can also last for ten years with good oral hygiene. You can rock your smile back with the very many types of bridges present. With the guide of a dentist, you can choose the best fit for you.

What are Dental Bridges?

A dental bridge is a false tooth mostly called a pontic, held in place by the abutment teeth on both sides of the gap. Pontics are made from porcelain material; to aesthetically blend with your natural teeth. Most of them are fixed tooth bridges that will permanently fix your missing teeth or gaps.

What is the Importance of having Dental Bridges?

Having a missing or gapped can affect you in many ways. Dental bridges are important in the following ways:

• Dental bridges restore your smile to a healthy one

• It restores the ability to masticate properly

• With dental bridges, you can improve your speech by pronouncing words properly

• Dental bridges read just your bite to distribute the force you use when chewing

• It keeps the rest of your teeth in their position, prevents them from moving out of place.

• Dental bridges maintain your teeth’ shape because missing a tooth can make your face slag making you look old.

• It also protects your teeth from wear and tear

Which are the most common types of dentures?

There are four main types of dentures available at Dr. Patel Dentistry -Ajax. Here is an overview of them and what to expect from them.

1. Traditional dental bridges

Traditional dental bridges are the most popular fixed dental bridges. Your dentist in Ajax, ON, will us them if your natural teeth surround a gap on both sides. They are made up of two or more pontic teeth held in place by two abutment teeth. These bridges are made up of ceramic or porcelain material fused to metal and are strong enough to replace molars. However, everything comes with pros and cons. To put these dental bridges, your dentist will have to remove some enamel to create space for the crowns. Removing your enamel is an irreversible process; therefore, you will always need a dental crown to support your teeth.

2. Cantilever Bridges

Cantilever bridges are the same as traditional bridges but held in place by an abutment tooth only on one side. When you have a natural tooth only on the side of your gap or missing tooth, a cantilever bridge is used to secure the bridge.

Like traditional bridges, some enamel parts will have to be removed to create space for the bridge. The only disadvantage is that it has a high chance of complications like a fractured tooth or loosened crowns since the bridges are only supported on one side.

3. Maryland dental bridges

These teeth bridges are made from resin and are recommended for replacing your front teeth. They use resin or porcelain material to bond the bridge to the back of your adjacent teeth. Your enamel does not need to be removed for these bridges because crowns do not hold it. The downside of these bridges is that they are not durable like traditional braces and cannot stay in molars, as they will wear due to a lot of chewing force.

4. Implant-supported bridges

These fixed bridges are supported by implants instead of natural teeth. They are mainly meant for patients with more than one missing tooth or if there is a chance you can put so much pressure on individual implants. This dental bridge procedure takes several months because your doctor will first place dental implants for every missing tooth to have a series that holds the bridge in place. If it is impossible to place a dental implant for each lost tooth, your doctor may use a pontic tooth suspended between two crowns supported by crowns.