Three Types Of Dental Bridges And How Your Dentist Determines Which One Is Right For You
Posted on: 22 July 2016
You may be surprised to learn that there are three types of dental bridges. Each type is tailor-made for a specific situation. In the event that your dentist tells you that you need a bridge, it may be one of the following. Additionally here is how your dentist determines which dental bridge best suits your situation.
Bridges Involving Implants
Since the advancement of dental implant technology, this type of bridge has become very popular. It is most often used when two or more teeth in a row are missing. Your dentist will install an implant to act as the anchor, and then adhere a pontic or fake tooth to the implant. The pontic may also have a band of metal that slips over the implant to help it stay in place. If three teeth in a row are missing, your dentist may create a bridge that has a pontic on both sides of an implant, or two pontics to the left or right of the implant. He or she may also choose to use two implants and place a pontic in the middle/ in between the two implants for added stability and durability.
Cantilever Bridges
Porcelain crowns fused to metal are used to form two side-by-side teeth, and then a pontic is attached on the end. This may be done when you have two lesser molars and a canine or incisor tooth missing, since the molar crowns are stronger will hold the pontic in place better this way. It is so named because the missing teeth that are replaced by two crowns and a pontic look like a cantilever door handle just prior to installation.
Bonded Bridges (Maryland Bridges)
This type of bridge often comprises of several crowns and pontics made of any type of dental material over metal and fitted in place. It is used in any part of the mouth, including front teeth and molars. To hold them securely in place, additional metal framework is bonded to your existing natural teeth, creating something that looks similar to the metal bridges in Maryland, hence the moniker. This type of bridge is extremely durable when the crowns are made of porcelain fused to metal and then bonded to the surrounding teeth, but other materials may last just as long if you are more careful with your teeth and have better oral hygiene from here on out. (Ergo, playing street or ice hockey is out when you have a Maryland bridge in!)
If you have missing teeth and are considering dental bridges, talk to a dentist at Gordon Dental for more information.
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