Which Dental Bridge Is Right for Me?

Dental bridges are an excellent option for people who have one or more missing teeth. They are made to span the gap where your teeth are missing. Your dentist will cement the bridges to the natural teeth alongside the space in between. These teeth, sometimes referred to as abutments, function as anchors for your dental bridges. Your dentist will attach a fake tooth to the crowns that cover the abutments. This replacement tooth is also called pontic. Like crowns, you will also have the option of which materials you would like to use for the bridges. Are you wondering which dental bridge is right for you? Read on to learn more about the types of dental bridges available today:

 

Traditional Bridges

These are the most popular type and used when your abutments surround a missing tooth on both sides. This type of dental bridge involves one or multiple pontic teeth held in place by two abutment teeth. Traditional bridges are often made with ceramic or porcelain fused to metal. This makes them durable enough to replace molars. But there’s one downside to this option. Dental crowns have to be placed on your adjacent teeth. This means that your dentist will have to remove a portion of your enamel from the two teeth. This way, they can accommodate the crowns on top. Your tooth enamel cannot grow back. Removing them is irreversible.

 

Resin-Bonded Bridges

Also referred to as Maryland bridges, this type of dental bridge is generally recommended to replace teeth at the front of your mouth. It uses porcelain or metal bands to secure a fake tooth to the backs of adjacent natural teeth. Resin-bonded bridges don’t need to be fixed and kept secure by crowns. It means that it won’t require enamel removal on the adjacent teeth, unlike traditional bridges. But the disadvantage is that it’s not as durable as the conventional option. The strength of resin-bonded bridges only depends on the binding material that’s holding them together. So, this type of dental bridge may not stay in place in areas where your teeth have to go through a lot of biting force, such as the molars.

 

Cantilever Bridges

Like traditional bridges, this type of dental bridge is attached to a natural tooth, but only on one side. When there’s just a single abutment present on one side of a gap in your mouth, your dentist will recommend cantilever bridges. This way, they can still secure a bridge. Similar to traditional bridges, they will prepare your abutment to support the bridge by removing a part of its enamel. As previously mentioned, this type of dental bridge only gets support on one side. The Journal of American Science states that there may be an increased risk of complications. These include loosened crowns or fractured teeth.

 

All types of dental bridges require your commitment to proper dental hygiene. Most are known to last between five and seven years. But with attentive oral health care habits, they could last 10 years or even longer.

 

Find out which dental bridge is right for you, contact Castro Valley Dentistry in Castro Valley, CA at (510) 674-0900 to schedule your consultation.