Dental Bridges
A bridge is a restoration used to replace a missing tooth.
How is a bridge made?
- The two teeth on either side of the missing tooth (abutments) are prepared for crowns.
- An impression is taken of the two prepared abutment teeth and the bridge is fabricated.
Three crowns will be produced and will be connected altogether into one prosthesis. Two crowns are the abutments and the middle crown (pontic) is the one replacing the missing tooth. Bridges can be made to replace more than one missing tooth.
Bridges can be made with the same materials as crowns:
- Gold
- Porcelain fused to metal
- All ceramic materials like lithium disilicate (Emax) and zirconia
Bridges are not removable and are placed with permanent cement.
Bridges must be kept clean daily with the use of floss-threaders.Floss-threaders allow floss to be passed under the bridge to clean it thoroughly. A toothbrush alone will not keep a bridge clean. If one does not keep a bridge clean, then plaque can build up and begin causing gum problems and possibly decay.