Dental Bridge

The treatment commonly known as a dental bridge is professionally known as a “pontic” to dentists. There are two parts to bridges: the crowns or caps that fit over existing teeth and the artificial teeth that serve as a “bridge” between the teeth on either side, otherwise known as the abutment teeth.

These two pieces make up the traditional dental bridge. Using adhesive, the dentist bonds the crown to the abutments to hold the false teeth (the pontics) in place. A traditional bridge is warranted when a patient’s abutment teeth are healthy and strong enough to support the device. But there are three other types of bridges: cantilever, Maryland, and implanted.

In cases where only one side of the gap has healthy teeth, dentists may use a Cantilever bridge. Named after a beam with only one fixed side, the false tooth on one end hangs on its own. These bridges aren’t as strong as traditional ones, but they may be warranted in certain patients.

Maryland dental bridges use metal brackets instead of crowns to hold the bridge secure. These are bonded by resin to the neighboring teeth from the back and are often used when a bridge is needed to replace the front teeth.

Finally, an implant-supported bridge is when a traditional bridge is attached to implanted teeth rather than natural ones. This can only be done after the implants have fully integrated with the bone. These implants are recommended for patients with more than three teeth missing in a row.