Dental Bridges

Missing teeth can cause problems in the mouth as surrounding teeth can shift out of place, causing misalignment and jaw problems. Dental bridges are connected by filing down the two healthy teeth that are adjacent to the missing tooth and attaching two crowns that hold a fake tooth in place. While this type of bridge is a traditional bridge, there are other bridge options that your dentist may recommend, depending on the condition of your teeth.

Why Should I Get a Bridge?

Dental bridges are important for functional and aesthetic reasons. A gap in the teeth will allow surrounding teeth to shift out of place, causing misalignment and potential jaw issues. Misaligned and missing teeth also impact proper chewing function. Proper speech function and your ability to pronounce words are also affected. From an aesthetic viewpoint, teeth are important to maintain the shape of your face. Missing teeth affect the look of the jawline and affect your confidence to smile.

Types of Dental Bridges

The traditional bridge is the most common type of bridge, with two crowns attached to the adjacent teeth, which hold the fake tooth in place. A cantilever bridge connects to only one abutment tooth and is used for people who have teeth on only one side of the gap. A Maryland dental bridge is preferable for front teeth, where a fake tooth made of porcelain fused to metal or ceramic is supported by wings that bond to your existing teeth.