Bridges

A bridge replaces missing teeth with artificial teeth and fills the gap where one or more teeth may have been. A bridge is an appliance custom made in a dental laboratory. It is formed by constructing crowns over existing teeth and a false tooth(in the shape of the tooth that was previously lost) that is suspended off of these crowns making the appliance one single unit and can vary in length, depending on how many teeth are involved. The bridge can be made from gold, other metal, alloys, porcelain or a combination of these materials and is cemented onto the surrounding teeth for support. The bridge is a permanently fixed appliance, in other words does not have to be removed at night. This is in contrast to a partial denture, which does need to be removed at night. A bridge is more aesthetic than a partial denture. A bridge, however does need a change in how it is cleaned(versus natural teeth). Because there are no gaps between the teeth in the bridge, flossing cannot be performed as usual (i.e. from the top of the teeth, through the contact). Now the flossing has to be done underneath. Typically a stiff plastic carrier delivers the floss in the area. A little bit of practice and guidance from the dental team will ensure the bridge is kept clean and lasts a long time.