Bridges

Dental bridges or Tooth bridges are appliances that are used to remove the gap between two teeth. Bridges are generally opted under the situations when a gap is formed due to certain abnormalities. For the successful placement of a dental bridge, Crowns should be placed on both sides of the gap. These teeth that help in the anchoring of the bridge are known as abutment teeth. A pseudo/false tooth is placed in between these structures. This false tooth is referred to as pontics. It can be fabricated either using gold, porcelain, alloys etc.

Dental bridges are very much useful in many aspects. Some of the benefits of dental bridges are as follows:

• Bridges shall help in smile restoration.
• On implanting bridges, the patient can improve his/her ability to speak or chew in a more efficient manner.
• Dental bridges can help in preventing the other teeth from misalignment.
• The general shape of the face can be maintained.

There are different types of dental bridges. They are traditional bridges, Maryland bonded bridges, cantilever bridges etc.

• Cantilever bridges: These bridges can be applied when the missing tooth has at least one natural tooth on either side.
• Traditional bridges: As mentioned before, dental crowns are placed in the neighbouring teeth for anchoring purposes. A pontic is also kept in between, in the place of the missing tooth.
• Maryland bonded bridges: These bridges are also known as a Maryland bridge or resin-bonded bridge. These bridges are made off gums of plastic teeth. A metal framework supports the teeth. Wings made of metal are placed and bonded on side of teeth.

Procedure for getting a dental bridge: At first, the preparation of the abutment teeth is performed. In most cases, recontouring might be needed. After this process, the impressions of teeth are made. These impressions shall help in making bridges, crowns and pontic. A temporary bridge shall be made in the first sitting and the patient shall be allowed to go home.

In a scheduled second sitting, the temporary bridge is replaced by a permanent bridge. This bridge is appropriately adjusted so that the patient experiences only minimal discomfort. Perhaps, more than one visit might be needed to adjust the metal framework properly.

Authored By Dr. Vinamra Dhariwal - Dentist, Chennai