What is a dental bridge? What are the criteria for doing a dental bridge?

Dental bridges are a way to replace two or more missing teeth in your mouth, whereby an artificial tooth is fixed permanently to adjoining teeth.

Which is a better option to replace missing teeth? A dental bridge or an implant?

Every patient is unique. Depending on the individual case’s basis, the dentist may choose to do a dental bridge or implants to replace missing teeth.

Points to check include:

• Amount of bone structure left
• The condition of the surrounding teeth
• Whether any root canals have been done
• The gum condition

Dental Bridges Process

First Visit:

Preparing the abutment teeth

The first dental appointment involves preparing the abutment teeth for the crowns that will hold the bridge in place. Some of the enamel (the outside layer of the teeth) will be removed so that there is room for the crown to be placed over them.

Impression of teeth

Using a soft putty-like material that the patient bites into, an impression of the teeth will be taken by leaving an indentation of the exact outline of the teeth. Next, a plaster-like material is poured into the impression to make a model of the teeth — in which the bridge will be made in a dental lab. A temporary bridge will be placed over the abutment teeth to protect them until the permanent crown is constructed by the dental lab.

Second Visit:

Fitting of permanent crowns

During this visit, the temporary crowns will be removed, and the permanent crowns will be checked for proper fitting. The permanent bridges will then be cemented in place using a strong, permanent type of cement. Your dentist will check the crowns to ensure that your bite is not too high and adjust it accordingly.

Dental Bridges Cost