11/04/2020
When you are missing a tooth, one option is a dental bridge. This permanent appliance is comprised of several pieces that are fused together to fit into the open space in place of a missing tooth.1 It involves one or more fabricated teeth—called pontics—held by two (or more) crown abutments on either side of the pontic. The bridge is used to replace a missing permanent tooth, to provide an ample chewing surface, and to aesthetically replace a missing tooth or teeth.
The false tooth is constructed to be similar in shape and size to the actual missing tooth/teeth. The crowns serve to keep the false tooth/teeth located in the middle of the bridge in place. The crowns can be supported by a person’s natural teeth, or they can be placed over dental implants.
The bridge may be made of several different types of material, including gold, alloys, or porcelain. When replacing a front tooth, porcelain is most often the material of choice because it can be matched to a person’s natural tooth color.
Benefits of Dental Bridges
Dental bridges can serve to provide many benefits, including:2
Restoring a natural look to a person’s mouth/smile
Restoring the ability to speak normally
Maintaining normal facial structure (by preventing bone loss from the jaw at the site of the missing tooth/teeth).
Restoring the ability to chew food efficiently
Preventing adjacent teeth from moving (A gap in the teeth that involves a missing tooth can lead to a shift in the position of the adjacent teeth. This can cause problems with the bite, and result in other complications.)
