Dental Bridges: The Four Types and How One Is Placed
If you are missing a tooth, or a few teeth in a row, a bridge is one of the ways of replacing them. Dental bridges can replace one tooth or a row of missing teeth (American Dental Association (MouthHealthy)).
The four types
There are four main types. A traditional bridge is the most common type. A cantilever bridge is similar to a traditional bridge, but there is only a crown on one end, not both. A Maryland bridge, also called a resin-bonded bridge, uses metal wings instead of crowns. An implant-supported bridge is also similar to a traditional bridge, but it rests atop dental implants instead of natural teeth (Cleveland Clinic).
For more on crowns themselves, see our article on what dental crowns are.
How a dentist chooses the type
To determine what type of bridge you need, a dentist will consider several factors, including how many teeth you are missing and the condition of the teeth next to the gap (Cleveland Clinic). Those are reasonable things to ask about.
Preparing the teeth and making the bridge
For a traditional bridge, the dentist reshapes the supporting teeth, and to do this they will need to remove some tooth enamel. This step is irreversible. It usually takes about two to four weeks to make a dental bridge (Cleveland Clinic).
Next steps
How a bridge compares with the alternatives is a separate question, handled in our article on choosing between an implant, bridge or denture.
Our office is at 147 Main St, 2nd Floor, Lodi, NJ 07644, and Dr. Steven Liao is our dentist. If you are thinking about becoming a patient with us, our first-visit page is the place to start.
Sources
- Cleveland Clinic. "Dental Bridges." Updated 2023-05-24. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/10921-dental-bridges
- American Dental Association (MouthHealthy). "Bridges." https://www.mouthhealthy.org/all-topics-a-z/bridges
