A Teeth Supported Dental Bridge is a permanent fixed restoration used to replace missing teeth when dental implants are not an option for your treatment. As you would have read in the dental implants section, a bridge is any tooth shaped restoration used to replace missing teeth that is connected by two or more supporting units. When implants are used, they act as the supporting structures for these restorations. Otherwise when not supported by dental implants, more commonly they are supported by two or more sound teeth on either side of the missing teeth.
To replace a tooth with a fixed tooth supported bridge, the tooth in front of the space and the tooth behind the space are prepared to receive crowns, attached to which is the false tooth, or as we call it, a Pontic. For a single missing tooth, this sturdy structure is composed of two crowns and a prosthetic tooth. Thus for a single missing tooth, you will have a bridge consisting of three units, viz. two crowns and the false tooth.
The bridge literally "bridges the gap" between the remaining teeth, stabilizing the jaw by surrounding those teeth with attractive crowns..
The principle functioning of the dental bridge lies on the shoulders of the surrounding teeth. If these teeth are not up to the mark in the health parameter, then the longevity of the dental bridge could be compromised. Furthermore, considering a situation when the surrounding teeth are absolutely healthy with no decay or gum problem,then getting a sub-standard bridge would affect their health in the long run. Thus, as our endeavour to keep your teeth as naturally healthy as possible, we fabricate dental bridges that are specifically made using CAD-CAM machines that help us give you a restoration with the exact precise fit possible. The crown & bridgework are specifically made out of products from the world renowned company, 3M.
To help you differentiate between a sub-standard bridge and a good quality bridge done at Smilekraft Dentistry, we take the example of the following case. The picture below shows a failing bridge on one side with dark gaps at the margins near the gums. That area was prone to food lodgement giving rise to inflammation and infection of the gums and teeth. Also the dark hue created by the gap was also not aesthetically pleasing to the patient.