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Bridges

A bridge, also known as a fixed partial denture, is made to replace one or more missing teeth. Bridges can be supported in any of three ways:

  • By natural teeth
  • By implants
  • By a combination of teeth and implants

A traditional bridge is made by creating a crown for the teeth on either side of the space and placing a false tooth or teeth between the crowns. The crowns, sometimes called caps, can be supported by natural teeth or by implants. The false tooth or teeth are attached to the crowns and fill the empty space. If the teeth receiving the crowns are healthy and strong, they probably will not need root canal therapy. However, parts of the teeth will be removed to make space for the crowns. Crowns are fabricated from many different types of materials such as metals, porcelain, resin and ceramics.

At the beginning of the procedure, all decay will be removed. Sometimes a post is inserted into the root to support the crown and a core or crown buildup is needed on a tooth to replace missing tooth structure. Traditional bridges are made either of porcelain fused to metal (PFM) or ceramics.
There are other types of bridges as well. A cantilever bridge is held in the mouth by one or more crowns on only one side of the space where a tooth is missing. A Maryland bonded bridge consists of a metal framework with "wings" on each side. The wings are bonded and attached to the back of your existing teeth. The false teeth are also bonded to the framework. This type of bridge is also called a resin-bonded bridge or an acid-etched bridge.

Bonded bridges usually are not as expensive as traditional bridges. That's because the adjacent teeth need less preparation and do not get crowns. However, these bridges are only as strong as the bonding material. Resin-bonded bridges tend not to stay cemented in place as well as other kinds in parts of the mouth where there is a lot of biting force. Bonded bridges work best to replace teeth in the front area of the mouth. They also may not be the best choice if the wings will have to be small to avoid getting in the way of the bite and interfere with when the mouth is closed.
Getting a bridge requires at least two visits, but often more. At the first visit, your dentist prepares the teeth and covers them with temporary crowns. The dentist may also make impressions of the teeth.
The bridge is placed at later visits. Newer technological advances allow for digital impressions with an intraoral scanner as an alternative to traditional impressions .On average, bridges last five to seven years. A major reason bridges fail is that new cavities develop on the supporting teeth. These cavities occur because of poor oral hygiene. With proper hygiene, which includes flossing your teeth under the bridge, they will last longer.

 

Updated- January 22, 2021

 

References:

  • Hasanzade M, Aminikhah M, Afrashtehfar KI, Alikhasi M. Marginal and internal adaptation of single crowns and fixed dental prostheses by using digital and conventional workflows: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Prosthet Dent. 2020 Sep 12:S0022-3913(20)30412-1. doi: 10.1016/j.prosdent.2020.07.007. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 32928518.
  • Abuzar M, Locke J, Burt G, Clausen G, Escobar K. Longevity of anterior resin-bonded bridges: survival rates of two tooth preparation designs. Aust Dent J. 2018 Apr 16. doi: 10.1111/adj.12612. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 29660169.
  • Takeuchi Y, Koizumi H, Furuchi M, Sato Y, Ohkubo C, Matsumura H. Use of digital impression systems with intraoral scanners for fabricating restorations and fixed dental prostheses. J Oral Sci. 2018;60(1):1-7. doi: 10.2334/josnusd.17-0444. PMID: 29576569.