Dental bridges allow patients to rebuild and restore their smile after experiencing tooth loss. The sooner you replace missing teeth, the sooner you can reap the benefits. The first step to this is examining the types of dental bridges to see which one matches your needs. With a well-placed set of dental bridges, your smile can return to its former glory.
Types of Dental Bridges
Patients can choose from three core types of dental bridges. No single type is better than another. The type you use will depend on your individual needs and situation. Below, we outline the key traits of each type.
Traditional Fixed Bridges
Traditional fixed dental bridges allow patients to fill in gaps in their smile. These involve creating an artificial filler tooth made of porcelain or ceramics that draws support from crowns placed on healthy adjacent teeth. These healthy teeth serve as anchors for the replacement tooth.
The limitation here is that patients need healthy teeth on either side of the missing one. In cases of a tooth lost to decay, this is not always feasible. Teeth adjacent to a severely rotted tooth often have decay issues themselves. However, your dentist can evaluate your situation and let you know if a traditional fixed bridge will work for you.
In any case, the healthy teeth will still need some modification to support the bridge. Your dentist will reshape them slightly so the supporting crowns can fit over them smoothly. Next, they will affix the crowns to those teeth, forming a stable anchor that literally bridges the gap in your smile.
Cantilever Bridges
Cantilever bridges best serve patients without two healthy teeth adjacent to the missing one. It works as long as you have one suitable tooth to serve as the anchor. The drawback of this type of bridge is that the prosthetic will have less stability. It can still look natural, but patients will need to care for it attentively.
These bridges require a skilled dentist, as placement must be precise. Imprecise placement will result in further decreases in dental stability. To visualize a cantilever bridge, imagine your anchor tooth as the starting point. The new tooth extends out over the gap where your missing tooth once stood. In this way, it is less of a true bridge and more of an overhand cover, but the result will still look natural.
Maryland Bonded Bridges
Traditional and cantilever bridges work exceptionally well for molars and premolars, which are mostly out of sight and, therefore, cannot easily be spotted as replacements. These methods will not work as effectively for front-facing teeth, such as the incisors and canine teeth.
To replace these teeth, you need a unique approach, as is provided by Maryland bonded bridges. Maryland bonded bridges consist of a porcelain tooth fused to a metal or porcelain framework. This framework looks a little like wings extending from the back of the tooth.
Your dentist will affix these wings to the backside of the teeth on either side of the missing one. Once in place, they hold the new tooth stable. Unlike other bridge options, bonded bridges require little to no reshaping of the adjacent teeth.
Choosing the Right Type of Dental Bridge
Because your selected bridge depends mostly on the location of your missing teeth, it is relatively easy to determine which one will best suit you. Rather than being swamped with choices about aesthetics or function, the right solution will be the one that best matches your oral health scenario.
Still, you can rest assured your dentist will fully explain each of your available options. When replacing a missing tooth, the goal is to find a solution that effectively addresses your needs while staying in line with your budget.
Local Dental Bridge Provider
At Dream Smile City, our dentist in San Bernardino provides each type of dental bridge for patients struggling with tooth loss.