Dental Bridges
If you have a missing tooth, our dentists can help you choose the best solution. One option is to use dental bridges, which are custom-fitted tooth prosthetics that function and look like natural, healthy teeth.
We may recommend dental bridges as opposed to implants to replace a missing tooth that has neighbouring teeth with decay and/or large fillings & crowns, or a tooth that has been missing for a long time (i.e., with severe gum recession or bone loss around the area). A bridge is custom-fitted to your bite and is placed over your natural teeth or dental implants.
Types of Bridges:
Fixed Traditional — Caps are bonded over teeth that lie on either side of the missing one
Fixed Cantilever — Cap is bonded over a single tooth next to the missing one
Resin-Bonded (or ‘Maryland’) — Porcelain teeth that are supported by metal or zirconia ‘wings’ which are bonded behind an adjacent tooth
Fibre-Reinforced — Composite resin teeth that made in a single appointment by your dentist. They are supported by fibreglass-reinforced ‘wings’ which are bonded to an adjacent tooth
Procedure:
The adjacent tooth/teeth are prepared to allow a proper fit
An impression is taken of your bite for bridge fabrication
The colour of porcelain prosthetics is customised to match the adjacent teeth
A temporary bridge is often fitted until the lab makes your permanent one
The permanent bridge is fitted at a second appointment usually 2 weeks later