Closing the gap for satisfaction and stability.
The purpose of a bridge is to replace a missing tooth or teeth to restore and rejuvenate your smile. Custom-made to fill in gaps between your teeth, it acts as a fixed replacement.
What types of bridges are available?
Bridges come in all shapes and sizes, and are custom-made to suit your smile arch and tooth shade.
In dentistry, bridges can be categorised into three main types: bonded, cantilever, and implant-retained.
- Bonded bridges consist of an artificial tooth that is attached to a crowned neighbouring tooth.
- The cantilever (winged) bridge is a dental prosthesis with a metal wing attached to an adjacent tooth/teeth with a strong dental adhesive.
- Implant retained bridges are multiple artificial teeth supported by titanium posts.
Why would a dental bridge need to be used?
The absence of a tooth can lower your self-confidence, but it can also lead to other concerns. Teeth adjacent to a gap tend to drift toward it, putting your remaining teeth under extra pressure and a higher risk of deterioration.
In addition to restoring your smile, dental bridges prevent your adjacent teeth from drifting and improve oral hygiene by maintaining the correct spacing, lessening food trapping.
What does treatment involve?
You will need two visits to complete a bonded bridge or winged bridge.
During your first visit, the dentist will prepare adjacent teeth to the correct shape and take accurate scans or moulds of your mouth to send to a dental technician.
Approximately two weeks later, you will have an appointment to check that you are satisfied with the appearance of your new bridge. If so, your dentist will carefully review the bite and fit the bridge with strong adhesive.
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