Dental Bridge liverpool

How do Bridges Work?

A bridge works by literally bridging the gap between the two teeth either side of the gap.  Bridges are made from tough dental porcelain and can withstand forces extremely well making them durable and safe.  Dentists call bridges ‘fixed partial dentures’.  The bridge is fixed to the teeth either side of the gap by preparing the tooth surfaces and then using strong dental composite glue to fix them in place.  The teeth either side of a bridge are prepared in precisely the same way as dental crowns. Bridges sometimes come out but many patients report having them in for many years and even decades without any problems.

The porcelain used to make your bridge is beautifully translucent and bright and will blend in perfectly with your existing teeth so people won’t be able to tell the difference between the real and the false teeth.  A single tooth bridge can replace one missing tooth and also multiple unit bridges can replace more than one tooth in your mouth.  They are simple larger and are described by dentists depending on how many teeth they are replacing.  We would say a ‘one unit bridge’ for one missing teeth or a ‘three unit bridge’ that replaces three teeth.  No matter how many units in your bridge, it is always anchored to the two teeth adjacent the gap in your smile.

For larger gaps, the bridge (or Pontic) must be anchored to two stable and healthy teeth for the whole thing to have a good chance of success and last you a long time before needing to be replaced.  Bridges are custom designed by our master ceramists in a laboratory and their finish is expertly crafted from a number of possible materials including gold, porcelain or metal.

Benefits and risks

Advantages of dental bridges:

• Bridges are a quick and easy solution to gaps and missing teeth. Compared with implants, you’ll need fewer visits to the dentist and the procedure is faster and much less involved.
• Bridges are less fuss than removable dentures that need to be cleaned, shift around in your mouth and may need replacing.
• Bridges last longer than removable dentures.
• Bridges are significantly cheaper than implants.
• Bridges are an aesthetic solution and function well allowing you to chew and smile with confidence.
• Bridges also improve the appearance and function of the adjacent teeth as these are also restored to provide the anchor points for your new bridge.

Disadvantages of dental bridges:

• The adjacent teeth will need to be drilled down slightly or prepped. Any tooth that is drilled in this way has a slightly increased chance of failing.  This would mean you will need to have root canal treatment.
• Unlike implants, bridges have no root and this means that there is no force on the bone beneath the bridge. This can mean that the bone recedes slightly, making implant treatment in the future more problematic.

Procedure and Aftercare

Bridges are placed in two separate appointments:

• First Appointment

The two teeth adjacent the gap are ‘prepped’ which means a thin sliver of enamel is removed from them.  An impression of the prepped teeth and gap is taken and sent to the lab where a ceramist creates the restoration.

• Second Appointment

The bridge, fresh back from the lab, is placed in your mouth and once we are happy with the function and aesthetic of the piece, it will be fixed into your mouth with special dental cement.

Bridge vs Implant

To read more on the particular differences between bridges and implants read our article here:  Bridges vs Implants.   You can also read all about the costs of implants vs bridges in our article where our experts compare the cost of dental implants here:

CARING FOR YOUR BRIDGE

Here’s how to look after your bridge: