When individual teeth are missing from the jaw, the other teeth can shift and change the bite statics. There are several dental treatment methods to prevent this from happening. One is to make a bridge.
What is a bridge?
Often, all-ceramic or composite crowns are used, which bond well to the tooth because of a special resin. In dentistry, the term bridge stands for a form of tooth replacement in which one or more missing teeth are replaced and connected by a pontic. In order for a bridge to guarantee adequate support, it needs abutments as anchors, either the patient’s own neighboring teeth, tooth roots or implants. A bridge thus consists of three parts: two artificial tooth crowns and a pontic, which are connected to each other and fixed to the neighboring teeth. For the crowns, the two abutment teeth must be ground and prepared for crowning.
Shapes, types and styles
Dentistry distinguishes between different types of bridges, depending on the dentition conditions:
- Free-end bridges
- Bridges made of all-ceramic or composite
- Switch bridges
- Adhesive bridges
- Telescopic bridges
- Implant bridges
- Composite bridges of tooth and implant
In a free-end bridge, the pontic is not between two teeth as is normally the case with a bridge, but at the end of the bridge. To still provide sufficient support and avoid overloading, two teeth must be crowned before the pontic. It is suitable as a solution only if only one small tooth is missing and needs to be replaced. Often, all-ceramic or composite crowns are used, which, thanks to a special plastic, bond well to the tooth and prevent the bridge from coming loose prematurely. An adhesive or Maryland bridge is often used in young patients to replace a missing tooth. It is bonded to the anchor teeth from the inside and prevents them from having to be ground down. A telescopic bridge is attached to dental crowns and can be removed if necessary. To do this, teeth must be crowned. Implant bridges can connect implants in the jaw via dentures. Dental implant composite bridges connect your own teeth to dental implants.
Structure and function
Every dental bridge needs supporting abutments to guarantee the bridge’s hold, usually the teeth adjacent to the gap serve for this purpose. However, this solution is only optimal if the anchor teeth themselves are no longer completely intact and already have fillings. If the neighboring teeth are completely intact, too much healthy tooth substance would have to be sacrificed by grinding, and it is worth considering perhaps choosing a different solution in this case. Before the bridge can be fabricated, the teeth must be ground and impressions taken so that the bridge can be made to fit precisely in the dental laboratory. For this purpose, impressions are taken of the upper and lower jaw, which sometimes have to be corrected again. There are different bridges, which are constructed differently. In addition to the materials (precious metal, non-precious metal alloy or all-ceramic), the structure also differs. If a tooth has to be bridged, a bridge consists of 3 parts: two crown abutments with a pontic in the middle. If several teeth are missing, either implants are necessary as intermediate abutments or a removable telescopic bridge is made. For telescopic bridges, however, a lot of the tooth has to be ground down because the telescopes need sufficient space. If a bridge is to be placed on implants, implants must first be placed in the jaw to which the bridge will later be attached. The type of bridge to be used depends on the individual conditions of the dentition and usually also on the patient’s financial requirements. Bridges generally have the task of replacing the function of missing teeth, so that gaps do not change the bite or restrict chewing. Teeth start to move, a bridge stabilizes the row of teeth and ensures that the chewing function is maintained. In addition, it also improves aesthetics and pronunciation.
Medical and health benefits
Dental bridges are an evolution of the earlier removable partial dentures. They no longer need to be attached to other teeth with clasps, but are firmly anchored in place.As a result, they put less strain on the gums and there are no pressure points, as often happens with the clasps of partial dentures. Depending on the material used, bridges have a relatively long service life of 10 to 15 years. Because they are firmly anchored, the denture can be loaded almost naturally again, which is not possible with missing teeth and not always possible with dentures. Due to the fact that the materials and also the adaptation possibilities are getting better and better, bridges today are hardly distinguishable from natural teeth, especially if full ceramics or ceramic veneers are used. They are always an advantage over gaps in the dentition, whether with or without veneers. However, bridges are relatively expensive because they are technically more complex than removable dentures. However, they are again less expensive than crowns with implants. A less expensive solution is a bridge without veneers, but this is not necessarily the optimal solution in terms of visibility, as it is very conspicuous. Bridges are a good way to replace one or more missing teeth and thus stabilize the bite, maintain strong chewing and, last but not least, show an aesthetic dentition.
