types-of-dental-bridges

What Are The Types Of Dental Bridges?

Feb 01, 2022

Missing teeth can affect your smile. Several factors, including aging, lifestyle, and trauma, can cause tooth loss. Fortunately, cosmetic dental care provides several tooth replacement options, including dental bridges to restore your smile.

What is a dental bridge, and what are its types? This article discusses the types of dental bridges in detail. Read on to find out.

What Is A Dental Bridge?

Dental bridges can close gaps in a smile. A dental bridge is a false tooth or pontic that abutment teeth on either side of a gap hold in place. Although several materials, including gold, are used for making dental bridges, porcelain is more prevalent because it aesthetically blends in with your natural teeth.

Types Of Dental Bridges

There are four major types of dental bridges. They are traditional, cantilever, Maryland, and implant-supported bridges.

Traditional Dental Bridge

A traditional dental bridge has dental crowns holding a false tooth or teeth in place. The bridge is cemented on each of the abutment teeth. Furthermore, the traditional bridge is very popular, and dentists use it when you have natural teeth on both sides of the gap that the missing tooth creates.

Cantilever Dental Bridge

A cantilever dental bridge is similar to a traditional bridge. A dental crown holds the false tooth in place in a cantilever dental bridge. However, it is cemented to only one abutment tooth. People who qualify for a cantilever dental bridge need only one natural tooth next to the missing tooth’s gap.

Maryland Dental Bridge

Like a traditional bridge, Maryland dental bridges also require two natural abutment teeth. However, a Maryland bridge uses a metal or porcelain framework bonded to the backs of the abutment teeth instead of dental crowns. Also, you can only use a Maryland bridge if you have a natural tooth on each side of your missing tooth gap.

Implant-supported Dental Bridge

The implant-supported bridge uses dental implants instead of frameworks or dental crowns. For every missing tooth, a dentist surgically places one implant which holds the bridge in place. In cases where one implant for a missing tooth is not possible, the implant-supported bridge will have two implant-supported crowns with a false tooth suspended in between.

The implant-supported bridge is the strongest and most stable bridge, and it requires two surgeries to install them. The first surgery is implant placement in the jawbone, while the second is bridge placement. Furthermore, it may take months to finish the procedure.

Why Is A Dental Bridge Necessary?

Missing teeth can cause bone degradation and further damage to your oral health. The best dental bridges near you mitigate the effects of missing teeth by restoring your smile, ability to chew properly, and speech. A dental bridge is also suitable for maintaining the shape of your face, preventing the remaining from moving out of their position, and readjusting your bite to distribute biting force properly.

What Is The Cost Of A Dental Bridge?

Dental bridges’ costs vary and depend on the number of teeth necessary for filling a gap, the placement’s difficulty, geographic location, type of bridge, and material.

Traditional and cantilever bridges have a price between $2000 and $5000. The cost is for a false tooth and a crown for each abutment tooth. A Maryland bridge costs between $1500 and $2500 for one false tooth and framework attached to the abutment teeth. Implant-supported bridges have a price between $5000 and $15000 for a bridge and two dental implants that span between three and four teeth.

Conclusion

Dental bridges are cosmetic dental care ideal for replacing missing teeth. There are four types of dental bridges, and they all have conditions where they are suitable. If you have missing teeth, you should visit Bayport Dental Care to discuss the best dental bridges near you.

Call Now Book an Appointment
Click to listen highlighted text!