Dental bridges

Dental bridges are dental prostheses that replace one or more missing teeth.

A dental bridge is a series of prosthetic teeth made of dental crowns connected together. It is a prosthetic structure that links the anchoring teeth and replaces the missing teeth.
The anchoring teeth can be natural teeth or dental implants.

The purpose of a dental bridge is to reinstate the appearance and functionality of missing teeth, and the main advantage over other prosthetic options lies in the fact that a dental bridge is a fixed prosthetic device, supported by anchoring teeth.

Dental bridges anchored by adjacent natural teeth are known as traditional dental bridges.
The main difference between placing dental bridges supported by natural teeth and implant-supported dental bridges is that the latter process starts with an implant placement procedure.
Once the implants have been placed, the process of osseointegration, or fusing of the dental implant with the bone, begins.

This process usually lasts 3 to 6 months, during which time the patient can wear a temporary dental bridge which they receive usually on the day of the implant placement procedure.

The materials used for dental bridges are the same as those used for dental crowns, including metal and ceramic, ceramic and zirconia ceramic.

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Tooth preparation for a dental crown

Anchoring teeth reshaping and preparation

The anchoring teeth reshaping procedure is performed under local anaesthesia.

If an anchoring tooth is damaged by a cavity or has a large filling, it should be restored and prepared for taking an impression.

Sometimes the tooth root needs to be treated and a post and core build-up performed.

TAKING AN IMPRESSION

After filing down the tooth, a jaw impression is taken to guide the dental laboratory in making the crown.

This is a multi-stage process, involving communication between the patient, dentist and dental technician. During the waiting period, the patient is fitted with a temporary bridge designed to look and function as the final teeth until the final bridge is ready.

TRIAL FIT OF THE BRIDGE

Once the laboratory finishes the bridge, the patient will come for a trial fit.

The time necessary for making dental bridges depends on the size of the bridge.

After the trial fit, the dental bridge can first be sealed with temporary cement to allow the patient to adjust to their new teeth.

FINAL CROWN FITTING

After the adjustment stage, and possible corrections, the bridge is permanently cemented into place.

Once cemented, provided that it is properly maintained, the bridge guarantees long-lasting support, while meeting the highest aesthetic requirements.

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Written by: dr. med. dent. Ivan Kustec