What is a cemented dental bridge?
A cemented bridge is a way to replace one or more missing teeth to help restore function and/or esthetics. A cemented bridge generally requires at least one tooth on either side of the missing tooth or teeth to provide the attachment and support for the bridge. First, the teeth on either side of the missing tooth or teeth are prepared for crowns. A dental laboratory then creates a bridge out of one of three materials: porcelain fused to a cast metal framework, porcelain fused to a tooth-colored framework, or a full gold bridge. The teeth with the crowns serve as “abutments” to the bridge, and the missing teeth that occupy the space between the abutments are called pontics. The bridge connects all of the teeth, abutments and pontics. A bridge is beneficial because it restores function and esthetics where needed. The loss of a tooth can cause a number of problems, including loss of chewing effectiveness, increased stress on the remaining teeth to “pick up the slack,” shifting of the teet
