A dental bridge replaces missing teeth by anchoring to one or two of the neighbouring teeth. The false tooth is known as the pontic and the anchoring teeth are known as abutments. Dental bridges are fixed and are an alternative to fixed dental implantsor removabledentures.
There are 2 main types of dental bridge:
1. Adhesive bridges
Adhesive dental bridges and Maryland dental bridges involve no tooth preparation or very little preparation of the neighbouring tooth and this has made them the most popular bridge design these days. In adhesive bridges, the false tooth is bonded using a framework wing to the inside wall of one neighbouring tooth.
Pros:
Very little or no preparation of the neighbouring tooth is necessary.
Often cheaper than conventional bridges.
Likelihood of root canal treatment becoming necessary is very remote.
Around 80% of these bridges survive 10 years.
Cons:
Debonding of this type of bridge is more common. When debonding happens, bridge recementation can be carried out quickly by a dentist.
They are not suitable when the neighbouring tooth holding the bridge has a large filling or a crown.
2. Conventional bridges
This involves preparing the two neighbouring teeth (abutments). The false tooth is then fused to the abutment crowns.
Pros:
Average lifespan is around 10-15 years.
Less likely to debond than adhesive bridges.
Cons:
Preparation of one or two neighbouring teeth is necessary and so this can make those teeth more sensitive for a while. Occasionally the tooth sensitivity does not settle and that tooth ends up needing root canal treatment. The risk of root canal treatment becoming necessary is around 20-33% over the lifetime of the bridge.
Cost of this type of bridge is only slightly cheaper than dental implants.
Cleaning underneath these bridges is more difficult.
Dental bridge Case study
The photos below show the case of a patient who presented to us to have her genetically missing teeth replaced with adhesive bridges. We provided her with two missing lateral incisors with two no tooth drilling adhesive bridges.
What is the procedure for having a dental bridge?
The neighbouring tooth/teeth is clinically assessed and an X-ray taken to ensure the tooth/teeth roots are sound.
The neighbouring tooth is then prepared (if necessary) and digital scans are taken. A temporary restoration is provided if needed.
We use the iTero handheld wand to take a digital, 3D image of your teeth, preventing the need for traditional impressions which can cause some patients to gag. The digital image is then sent straight to the laboratory and work can start on the bridge construction immediately.
Fitting of the final bridge is done with high strength resin cement once the bridge has returned from the lab. The resin cement provides a chemical bond between the tooth and the bridge. In order to increase the bond strength between the tooth and the bridge, at Pearl Dental Clinic we use the AquaCare Air Abrasion system which uses high pressure Aluminium Oxide particles to create an additional mechanical bond for the bridge. This significantly reduces the risk of the bridge debonding in future.
At Pearl Dental Clinic, we will always provide you with a full written treatment plan so that you are fully aware of the dental costs involved with your treatment. You can spread the cost of dental treatment interest-free with our 0% dental finance plans.
