What is a Tooth Bridge?
Dental bridges are multiple crowns fused together to replace one or more missing teeth. They can protect adjacent damaged or heavily filled teeth while restoring your smile and bite function. Bridges can be made from materials like porcelain, ceramic, or gold alloys.
Modern techniques using 3D scanning and milling now allow for durable, natural-looking all-ceramic bridges without metal.
When would I need a tooth bridge?
Tooth Bridges are usually recommended when one or more of the following happens:
- Missing one or several teeth.
- The missing tooth cannot be restored with a dental implant.
- The teeth adjacent to the empty space are cracked, decayed, weak, heavily filled, discoloured or have had a root canal.
- You want a fixed (not removable) solution to replace your missing teeth and do not want dentures.
What type of materials do you use for a dental bridge?
Dental bridges can be made out of the following in order of popularity:
- Monolithic Zirconia (Ceramic) – Zirconia has excellent compressive strength and wear ratings.
- Lithium Disilicate (Ceramic) – Also known as E.max (trade name), this ceramic materials is extremely popular due to it’s superior tooth-like aesthetics and ability to be bonded onto teeth.
- Porcelain fused to Metal (PFM) – The traditional way to make crowns and bridges, with excellent long-term studies to prove its reliability.
- Porcelain fused to Zirconia (PFZ) – A fusion of the traditional way to bond porcelain using a new-age ceramic as the strong base.
- Gold and metal alloys – All metals have excellent compressive strength and wear ratings. These are the material of choice in heavy teeth grinders.
- If dental implants are involved, the connection material to the dental implant is usually made out of Zirconia or Titanium.
Teeth bridging procedure
The steps for a successful dental bridge are as follows:
- A full comprehensive oral examination is performed and all your teeth are checked for problems.
- All teeth problems such as cavities, infections, gum disease are all fixed prior to the bridging process.
Dental Bridge connected to Teeth
- The teeth connected to the dental bridge are prepared (adjusted) and moulds or 3D scans are taken and sent to our local dental lab.
- For Maryland Bridges – minimal preparation is required. Read more here.
- Your new custom tooth bridge is either milled or constructed and sent back to us in roughly two weeks.
- Your new dental bridge is bonded onto your teeth.
Dental Bridge connected to Dental Implants
- The implants are 3D scanned or impressions are taken and sent to our local dental lab.
- Specialised custom Dental Implant components need to be ordered for each different bridge.
- Your new custom implant bridge is either milled or constructed (or both!) and sent back to us in roughly three weeks.
- Your new implant bridge is screwed onto your implants.
Alternative treatment options for Dental Bridging
It’s important to note that you do not always need a bridge and there are many other alternatives:
- Individual Dental Implants
- Dentures (Plates)
- Leaving the space empty (no treatment)!
Possible complications
As with any dental treatment, some patients may experience complications. Nerve death and a subsequent need for a root canal occurs in roughly 10-20% of crown and bridge cases. This is mainly due to the fact that when teeth require dental bridging, it is already fairly broken down due to decay or cracks. Others may experience porcelain chipping or even porcelain fracture. In such cases, repair is not possible and replacement of the bridge may be required. The tooth is not immune to decay even with a bridge and hence it is recommended that it is checked and cleaned on a regular basis. Patients who grind their teeth still require a night splint to protect their dental bridge. All dental restorations have a limited life-span and will require eventual replacement.
Contact Dental at Keys to see if you missing tooth is suitable - there are numerous options available.
Common Dental Problems
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Dental Bridge cost?
The cost of bridging your teeth will greatly depend on the material and number of teeth you are bridging. A typical Maryland Bridge will cost the same as a tooth crown and a 3-unit bridge can cost up to 2-3x the cost of a dental crown.
How long do tooth bridges last?
There are many variables for this. Generally, studies have shown crowns and bridges to last around 7–15 years.
How do I clean my new Bridge?
The best way to clean a bridge is to brush it normally, then use super-floss to clean under the pontic. If super-floss is not available, we recommend the use of a water-flosser to remove debris.
