Dental bridges

If you feel embarrassed about gaps in your smile, a natural looking dental bridge can successfully fill in those unsightly spaces and help restore your confidence. A longer lasting alternative to dentures, dental bridges are an effective way to replace one or more missing teeth. They consist of a false tooth, positioned between two crowns, which slot over the teeth either side of a gap (known as abutment teeth) or they can be held in place by dental implants. They are usually made from porcelain fused to a metal or ceramic base, to offer a blend of strength and good looks.

Benefits

As well as restoring an incomplete smile, bridges can offer a host of other benefits, including:

  • Improving how you eat and speak.
  • Enhancing facial contours.
  • Distributing the forces in your bite correctly.
  • Preventing remaining teeth from moving out of position.

Treatment steps

  • The abutment teeth are prepared by removing a layer of enamel to ensure there will be sufficient room for the crowns.
  • Impressions are taken so the bridge can be tailor-made to fit.
  • While the bridge is being made, a temporary bridge may be put in place to protect the exposed teeth.
  • When ready, the bridge is checked and adjusted to make sure it fits perfectly and it is finally fixed in place with strong dental cement.
  • As well as traditional bridges, featuring crowns and a false tooth in between, there are also cantilever bridges, for cases where there are teeth on only one side of the gap, and Maryland bonded bridges, which are attached to existing teeth with metal or ceramic wings.

Aftercare

Good oral hygiene is essential to ensure the longevity of your bridge. It is especially important to clean under the false tooth, as well as brushing and flossing regularly.
If bridges are well looked after, and that includes keeping the surrounding teeth healthy so they can continue to provide a solid foundation, they should last for over ten years.

Why might I need a bridge?

A bridge is a replacement for one or more missing teeth. It is a good solution if you don’t have many missing teeth, or if your missing teeth are all on one side of your mouth. It is important to replace missing teeth to prevent your remaining teeth from drifting into the empty space, as well as to restore the appearance of your smile.

What is a bridge?

A bridge is made up of 2 or more crowns that fit to teeth on either side of the gap, which serve as anchors, along with a false tooth in-between.

A bridge will support the false tooth or teeth, and reduce the susceptibility of remaining teeth to decay and gum disease.

How is a bridge fitted?

Your Care Dental dentist will examine your teeth and jaw at your first appointment to evaluate the best course of action. If you have strong enough teeth with good bone support then a bridge could be a great option to restore your smile.

An impression will be taken of your mouth, from which a plaster model will be built of your teeth and gums to enable your dentist to understand how your teeth bite together. Your teeth will then be prepared so that the bridge will fit: the teeth either side of the gap need to be reduced in size to fit the fixings and accommodate the bridge comfortably.

A second impression of your teeth is taken and used to build a bridge that looks natural and matches your mouth exactly. The bridge will be made from metal, porcelain or a combination of both, and the replacement tooth that’s fixed between your bridge will be colour-matched to the rest of your teeth. While your bridge is being made, your dentist may fit a temporary bridge or crown to protect the exposed gum and teeth.

When the bridge is ready, it will be fitted carefully at our local Crieff practice by your Care Dental dentist, who will make sure it is comfortable before it is fixed in place.

How do I look after my bridge?

You will need to clean your bridge and the false tooth or teeth it supports every day. Your dentist will show you how to use a bridge needle or special floss to ensure your bridge is thoroughly clean. To prevent damage, it’s best to avoid chewing hard foods and ice. By taking good care of your bridge, you can ensure it will last for many years.

Plans & fees

Dental fees

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