Fixed Bridges – Conventional And Minimal Preparation
A dental bridge replaces a missing tooth/teeth by attaching to either one or both of the neighbouring teeth. The ‘artificial’ tooth will fill the gap providing a strong structure on which to bite. Compared with dental implants, bridges have the advantage of being made in a shorter timespan and there is not the hurdle of having surgery on the gum. As with any treatment, you will have an initial consultation to determine whether having a dental bridge is the most suitable form of treatment for you. Once the dentist has seen your teeth and determined that you should have a dental bridge, it generally takes two visits to make and fit the bridge.
This first visit commonly takes between 45 and 120 minutes and involves reshaping the two teeth that are on either side of the gap. Local anaesthetic is frequently given during the reshaping of the teeth. We also take impressions of your teeth and fit you with a temporary ground during this first visit. This temporary bridge maintains the look and function of your teeth whilst the dental technician makes the bridge. A shade is chosen for the bridge to blend in with the existing teeth.
The second visit involves the dentist fitting the permanent bridge. The bridge is cemented to the teeth on either side of the gap. These teeth are drilled down to attach the Bridge to either side of the gap. The middle crown is solid to mimic a tooth, the other two are concave to fit over the teeth. Once treatment has been completed, the patient must be careful to clean well under the bridge. Assuming that the patient is active in keeping their bridge clean, then it should last for decades.
The disadvantage of bridges is that they rely on the support and health of the neighbouring teeth, and should these teeth become compromised, then the whole bridge is jeopardised.
At Surrey Dental Practice, we offer two types of bridges:
Conventional Bridges
Conventional bridges are held together by full-coverage crowns, three-quarter crowns, post-retained crowns, inlays and onlays on the ‘Abutment’ teeth and involve covering the entire neighbouring support teeth. This requires quite a bit of re-shaping of the neighbouring teeth before the conventional bridge is cemented over them.
Cantilever Adhesive Bridges
This is a false tooth that’s only anchored to 1 tooth. Cantilever bridges don’t have the same strength as fixed bridges, so they are generally fixed in areas where less strength is needed, for example frontal teeth. Adhesive bridges are less invasive and can be carried out where there is more enamel present. This process involves either very minimal reshaping or no reshaping at all of the neighbouring tooth.
If you would like to find out more about our dental bridge treatments, then please contact Surrey Dental Practice on 01483 506277 and book an appointment today!
0% finance is available on any treatment over £500*