BellevueDental bridges

dental bridges

If you have a tooth missing, or are having one extracted, a fixed dental bridge may be one of the options for ‘bridging the gap’; the others may be a partial denture or dental implant.

A bridge will only work if there are strong teeth and bone either side of the gap, to support it.

A bridge is usually made from porcelain bonded on to precious metal for strength and longevity.

Leaving an empty gap where teeth used to be will cause problems with your bite, because the remaining teeth will gradually shift position.

Using a dental bridge to fill the gap will protect your bite, enable you to chew food easily and look good too.

You will normally need two appointments (parts of the procedure are similar to fitting a crown).

To give the bridge a strong anchor, we cement it on to your adjacent natural teeth (or crowns/implants). The centre part of the bridge is a false tooth which sits close to the gum and spans the gap left by the extraction/s.

Eating: To protect your bridge, it will be best to avoid biting/chewing hard foods (eg hard nuts, raw carrots, ice cubes or other hard objects).

Hygiene: It is very important to keep your bridge clean and protect the surrounding gums, so you’ll need to clean under and round it every day.

A simple interdental brush or a water flosser device can help remove food debris and plaque.

A floss applicator/threader will help you get underneath the bridge (you can’t floss between the teeth on the bridge as they are all joined together without a gap).

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