Dental Bridges

Dental bridge is a procedure used to replace missing teeth when there are dependable neighbouring teeth. It consists of at least two retainers, basically two crowns, united by a bridge filling up the missing tooth area. The majority of the bridges have a strong infrastructure and a glazed porcelain baked on top of it. Our preferred option is a metal free bridge. When the length of the toothless area is large, the material used for the infrastructure is Ziconia, that successfully meats the requirements for strength and aesthetics. It is indicated for people with metal allergies or concerns regarding metal-body interactions. Another advantage is that the metal free bridges can be chemically and physically bonded to the supporting teeth, and not just cemented into place as a regular metal one. It is generally a two appointment procedure and the patient is wearing a temporary bridge/crowns in-between the preparation and the bonding appointment.

Special Bridges

Implant supported bridges:

When the toothless space is contained in between two implants, there is an option of implant supported bridge. Such a bridge will usually be screw retained on the implant abutments.

Mixed implant and tooth support:

This type of bridge is very demanding because the tooth behaves differently form an implant in terms of mobility. In such cases we will use a “stress-breaker” which a special bridge connection that will allow the tooth to move normally as the implant remains rigid.

Long span or multiple teeth bridge

The challenge is these cases is maintaining structural strength while preserving the specific tooth functionality. The ideal situation would be to break the space using dental implants but if it not possible, usage of specially designed and strategically placed “stress-breakers” is mandatory in order to ensure a long lasting result.

The advantage of dental bridges over implants is that it is a non-surgical procedure, it leads to faster results and it generally receives better coverage from the benefit group plan. It is an economically better option especially when the neighbouring teeth need to receive crowns for structural purposes. They will require special hygiene care and they will need replacement at some point in time. Dental bridges also do put an extra load on the supporting teeth.

If you would like to explore the option of dental bridges or need professional help in order to make the best decision for your specific case please don’t hesitate to book a consultation with Dr Octavian Tetelbaum.