Types of dental bridges

The traditional fixed bridge is preferred in most situations because it offers the most strength for the bridge, from abutment teeth on either side of the pontic. However, if there is no place to fix the bridge on one side of the gap, a cantilever bridge may need to be used.

A dental bridge can be used to replace anywhere from one to four teeth, depending on the patient’s needs. However, it is most common that one to two teeth will be replaced.

An implant crown is a dental cap that is placed on the external-facing side of an implant. These devices are used to replace missing teeth. Getting implants is a surgical procedure that can take months to complete, but it is considered to be the best way to replace missing teeth.

The most affordable tooth replacement solution is dentures. This is because they take the least amount of time to create. There is no surgery and no dental crowns to place. Instead, an impression is taken of the mouth along with measurements.

If you underwent tooth extractions a few years ago, a dental bridge is developed within two to four weeks. However, if your tooth is still awaiting extraction, you may have to wait five to six months after tooth removal to help your gums shape to stabilize before you can have a dental bridge eventually.

The dental bridge should feel nearly as real and comfortable to you as your natural teeth did. Many of our patients report that their bridges feel even better than the natural teeth did prior to bridge placement, especially if these teeth had large fillings or restorations in them.

If the procedure of placing a dental bridge has been performed competently, the reason for bad smell is poor hygiene. So, clean your crowns properly at the gum line, use floss, and rinse your mouth after each meal. It is also advisable to use a water pick with anti-bacterial non-alcoholic mouthwash or 50% peroxide.

Dental Bridges

Since there’s a space underneath the prosthetic tooth, it’s easy for food to get trapped under or around a bridge. It’s important to get regular checkups to make sure your dental bridge is fitting well. To dislodge food debris, it’s helpful to carry interdental brushes and/or floss threaders with you.

Cleaning a fixed bridge

Gently move the spongy floss between the gum and the base of the bridge, use a soft back-and-forth motion to remove plaque under the false tooth. Then wrap the spongy floss around the real tooth at the other side of the bridge, slide up and down to clean the adjacent tooth surface.

If you’re missing more than one consecutive tooth, a dental bridge is likely a better option than an implant. A separate implant needs to be surgically attached to your jawbone for each missing tooth, leading to expensive and often impractical surgery.

Can Dental Bridges Become Infected? The good news: dental bridges cannot become infected. The bad news: the natural teeth underneath the crowns of a dental bridge are still vulnerable to tooth decay and other oral health issues.

Loose bridges can often be easily removed and repaired, allowing your dentist to recement the bridge into place. However, the cement used to bond a bridge in place is designed to last for many years and it is not always possible to remove a bridge without causing damage to the support of surrounding teeth.

A dental bridge replaces one or more missing or broken teeth with fake teeth. Bridges use one or more real teeth on either side of the gap to hold the fake teeth in place. Bridges may be either fixed, which means that they are permanent, or removable, which means that a person can take them out.

Pain may be felt if your dental bridge is loose or there’s decay under the crown that supports the bridge. Your dental bridge may also hurt because of a gum disease that has weakened the supporting teeth, or a nerve died in one of those supporting teeth resulting in an abscess.

According to the American Dental Association

A bridge is a custom-made replacement tooth or teeth that fill the space where one or more teeth are missing. The bridge permanently restores your bite and helps keep the natural shape of your face.

Some patients would often experience mild to severe pain once they get their dental bridges. This is usually a normal occurrence after the procedure. Oftentimes, the pain will subside after a few days. In case the pain prolongs for a longer period of time, it is best that you see your dentist.