Details of Dental Bridges
A dental bridge consists of two or more crowns for the teeth on either side of the gap left by the extracted tooth. These crowns are the bridges that offer support and in the middle of this bridge is the pontic, otherwise known as the artificial tooth or set of teeth to mimic the patient’s original. Artificial teeth are made from a variety of materials including porcelain, gold, alloy, or any combinations of these.
Dental bridges have a long lifespan. They can last for up to 15 years and possibly even longer with good care. Caring for dental bridges involves good oral hygiene and, of course, regular visits to the dentist for any maintenance and checkups.
There are three types of dental bridges.
- Traditional bridge. This involves creating a crown on either side of the gap with a pontic in between. This type is often made of porcelain fused to metal or ceramic.
- Cantilever bridges. These are not very common anymore and are not recommended to use at the back of the mouth (molars) because they could apply too much force on the other teeth. However, cantilever bridges are used when there are adjacent teeth on only one side of the missing tooth or teeth.
- Maryland bonded bridges, also known as the resin-bonded bridge. These are made of porcelain or plastic teeth, and gums that are supported by a metal or porcelain framework.
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