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Restorative Dentistry » Bridges

If only one or two teeth are missing, a bridge may be used to replace them. If there are suitable teeth on either side of a gap, it may be possible to use them to support one, or sometimes two, artificial teeth.

There are many bridge designs. A typical bridge is illustrated here. The natural teeth either side of the space have been prepared to have crowns (or "caps") fitted. These crowns are permanently fused to an artificial tooth in the centre.

Bridges are cemented in place, so they cannot be removed for cleaning. To keep the teeth healthy, the gap under a bridge must be cleaned daily using special dental floss - an ordinary toothbrush will not do the job. Your dentist or hygienist can demonstrate how to use floss under your bridge.

Advantages

• More permanent and less bulky than dentures.
• They are fixed and thus provide stability
• The look of the false tooth in a fixed bridge is similar to a real tooth.

Disadvantages

• A small amount of the teeth adjacent to the gap usually needs to be removed. This means you are voluntarily damaging teeth which are causing no pain and are otherwise perfectly healthy. Unfortunately 1 in every 5 teeth prepared for a bridge may require further treatment such as Root Canal Treatment.
• More expensive than dentures

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