Dental
Bridges
Introduction:
Dental Bridges
This section of About Cosmetic
Dentistry will help you to learn more about dental bridges.
You'll learn how the procedure is performed, what dental bridges
cost and you'll have the chance to see photos taken before
and after the dental bridge installation. In addition, you
will be able to read personal experiences from patients and
discuss bridges with other patients and potential patients.
You can use the outline below to jump to a specific point
in the dental bridge section, or you can use the "Continue"
arrow button below to begin reading.
What is a dental bridge?
A dental bridge is a false
tooth, known as a pontic, which is fused between two porcelain
crowns to fill in the area left by a missing tooth. The two
crowns holding it in place that are attached onto your teeth
on each side of the false tooth. This is known as a fixed
bridge. This procedure is used to replace one or more missing
teeth. Fixed bridges cannot be taken out of your mouth as
you might do with removable partial dentures.
In areas of your mouth that are under less stress, such as
your front teeth, a cantilever bridge may be used. Cantilever
bridges are used when there are teeth on only one side of
the open space. Bridges can reduce your risk of gum disease,
help correct some bite issues and even improve your speech.
Bridges require your commitment to serious oral hygiene, but
will last as many ten years or more.
Who is a candidate for dental
bridges?
If you have missing teeth and
have good oral hygiene practices, you should discuss this
procedure with your cosmetic dentist. If spaces are left unfilled,
they may cause the surrounding teeth to drift out of position.
Additionally, spaces from missing teeth can cause your other
teeth and your gums to become far more susceptible to tooth
decay and gum disease.
Overview of dental bridge procedure
If you a space from a missing tooth, a bridge will be custom
made to fill in the space with a false tooth. The false tooth
is attached by the bridge to the two other teeth around the
space - bridging them together.
How
is dental bridge accomplished?
Your cosmetic dentist will prepare
your teeth on either side of the space for the false tooth.
You will be given a mild anesthetic to numb the area, and
the cosmetic dentist will remove the an area of each abutment
(teeth on either side of the space) to accommodate for the
thickness of the crown. When these teeth already have fillings,
part of the filling may be left in place to help as a foundation
for the crown.
The dentist will then make an
impression, which will serve as the model from which the bridge,
false tooth and crowns will be made by a dental laboratory.
A temporary bridge will be placed for you to wear while your
bridge is being made until your next visit. This temporary
bridge will serve to protect your teeth and gums.
Your cosmetic dentist may have
you use a Flipper appliance. A Flipper is a false tooth to
temporarily take the place of a missing tooth before the permanent
bridge is placed. A Flipper can be attached via either a wire
or a plastic piece that fits in the roof of your mouth. Flippers
are meant to be a temporary solution while awaiting the permanent
bridge.
On your second appointment,
the temporary bridge will be removed. Your new permanent bridge
will be fitted and checked and adjusted for any bite discrepancies.
Your new bridge will then be cemented to your teeth.
There are three types of dental
bridges:
Traditional
Fixed Bridge
A dental bridge is a false tooth,
known as a potic, which is fused between two porcelain crowns
to fill in the area left by a missing tooth. There two crowns
holding it in place that are attached onto your teeth on each
side of the false tooth. This is known as a fixed bridge.
This procedure is used to replace one or more missing teeth.
Fixed bridges cannot be taken out of your mouth as you might
do with removable partial dentures.
Resin Bonded Bridges
The resin bonded is primarily
used for your front teeth. Less expensive, this bridge is
best used when the abutment teeth are healthy and don't have
large fillings. The false tooth is fused to metal bands that
are bonded to the abutment teeth with a resin which is hidden
from view. This type of bridge reduces the amount of preparation
on the adjacent teeth.
Cantilever Bridges
In areas of your mouth that
are under less stress, such as your front teeth, a cantilever
bridge may be used. Cantilever bridges are used when there
are teeth on only one side of the open space. This procedure
involves anchoring the false tooth to one side over one or
more natural and adjacent teeth.
Pros and Cons of a Dental
Bridge
Advantages of dental bridges:
Bridges are natural in appearance, and usually require only
two visits to your dentist. If you maintain good oral hygiene,
your fixed bridge should last as many as ten years or more.
Disadvantages of having
a dental bridge:
It is common for your teeth to be mildly sensitive to extreme
temperatures for a few weeks after the treatment. The build
up of bacteria formed from food acids on your teeth and gums
can become infected if proper oral hygiene is not followed.
Determining the color for your dental bridge?
When considering dental bridges
a common question is how white the dental bridge should be.
Usually, the answer is to whiten your natural teeth to either
the level of whiteness you want or to the brightest they can
be. Your cosmetic dentist will then have the dental bridge
made to that color. Teeth are of course not monochromatic,
so typically more than one color is used to create a very
natural look. This color variation is critical in avoiding
fake or artificial looking teeth. It is the internal contrast
of colors that help create vitality. The internal play of
light on the porcelain in the restoration helps to create
this vitality. Surface texture is also very important, and
helps to break up light reflections and make the dental bridge
look more natural. Depending on the type of dental bridge
you're considering, it's important that the crowns anchoring
the bridge match both the dental bridge and the color of your
natural teeth.
There is no one standard system
in the dental field to measure and determine tooth color.
The most often heard about, however, is the Vita shade guide.
This guide divides tooth color into four basic shade ranges:
A (reddish brown)
B (reddish yellow)
C (gray)
D (reddish gray).
In the A range there are five levels of darkness. Ranges B,
C and D, each have four levels.
Not all of your teeth are the
same natural color. Usually your eye teeth tend to be darker
than the others, your front teeth are typically the whitest,
and molars tend to be a shade between the two. The goal for
everyone is to achieve their individual optimum whiteness
while still looking natural.
Most dentists will show you
a shade chart (like the above mentioned Vita Shade Guide)
for you to pick from. Keep in mind, with a good cosmetic dentist
this is merely a starting point. Other considerations when
determining the color of dental bridges for each patient are
your complexion, hair color, the color of your natural teeth
and even your eye color.
Our message area devoted to
discussing cosmetic dentistry provides you with a forum for
the exchange of information with others who are interested
in dental bridges. The cosmetic dentistry forum allows you
to ask questions, get answers, give and receive advice and
to get support from other dental bridges patients and prospective
patients.
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TEETH
IN AN HOUR - Teeth
In An Hour is a new protocol that allows patients to leave
the office with fixed teeth in less an one hour.
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