Quickfire Guide to Bridges
Dental bridges are exactly what they say on the tin.
They bridge the gap in your smile with a false tooth, which sits in the gap. On either side of the false tooth sits a crowned tooth and a supporting tooth, allowing the false tooth to stay firmly in place.
Should we find you have healthy teeth on either side of the gap in your teeth, something called an adhesive bridge can be placed. This features wings on either side, which are bonded to the inner surfaces of your natural supporting teeth (so we don’t have to prepare the teeth for full crowns by removing your natural tooth structure).
You are only eligible for a dental bridge if you have a healthy tooth on one side of the gap in your smile to support it being there, and good bone support.
We generally recommend a bridge when there are fewer teeth that need replacing, or when the gap is only on one side of your mouth.
Whilst a bridge relies on your existing teeth to stay fixed in place, dentures are removed at night and sit over your gums using suction to do so.
Dental bridges can sit independently in your mouth without implants and still provide the function and aesthetic you need from a new set of teeth.
But if you’re after the most tooth-like set of teeth available to you, implants are well worth the investment.
Implant-supported bridges offer far better protection for your jawbone, keeping it aesthetically intact for years to come and what’s more, your chewing will feel as good as new.
Read more about implants here to see if they could be a good fit for you.
