Bridges

A bridge is termed a bridge due to the fact that it ‘bridges the gap’ between two or more teeth. It is not removable by the wearer.  It is a structure supported by teeth on both sides of a space in which it replaces a missing tooth or teeth. A bridge matches the adjoining teeth and is a natural looking replacement for those missing teeth.

Let’s examine how a bridge is made.

The first step is necessary to prepare the supports for the bridge itself. The replacement crowns over existing teeth are the normal supports for a bridge.  The dentist must pare down the tooth on each side of the gap, and then takes an impression of those teeth that were pared-down.

Once an impression is made, the dental technician will then make a replacement crown for each pared-down tooth and they will be joined to an artificial tooth placed between them.  The two replacement crowns along with the artificial tooth between them, form the actual bridge.  The dentist will then actually cement the bridge to the two pared down teeth.

Now, we need to understand what replacement crowns are.

A replacement crown will replace all or part of a natural crown.  When crowns are used as supports for a bridge, the dentist will have to pare down the natural crowns in preparation for replacement crowns to be made for the support of the bridge.  The good part is the new crowns will cover the teeth which the dentist had to pare down.  A crown can also replace a lot tooth by being attached to a dental implant.  A post-crown is a replacement crown that can be joined to a metal post that is embedded in a remaining root of a tooth.