Who Needs a Dental Bridge?
If you lost a tooth, a dental bridge may be a good choice to fill the gap in your smile. Dental bridges use the teeth that surround the gap as support while filling in for a missing tooth. There are three kinds of dental bridges. You and Dr. Patel will choose which type meets your needs best. The three types of dental bridges are: • Fixed bridges • Bonded bridges • Cantilever bridges Fixed Dental Bridges A fixed dental bridge uses the two teeth on either side of your gap to anchor the pontic. Porcelain crowns are bonded to the adjacent teeth with a pontic between them that replaces your missing tooth. Fixed dental bridges require the teeth adjoining your gap to be shaped in order to fit the crowns, but they are the strongest type of bridge. Bonded Dental Bridges If your gap is in an area of your smile that is not under a lot of chewing stress, such as among your front teeth, Dr. Patel may recommend a bonded dental bridge. This type of bridge does not require porcelain crowns. Instead,
