Anterior Bridge for Front Teeth
Prosthodontist Dallas

Tooth loss, even just one tooth, has a huge impact on your mouth. Simple tasks, like eating and speaking, can quickly become difficult and can affect your appearance. Even a single missing tooth could greatly impact your confidence. At Dallas Prosthodontics, we understand the importance of replacing missing teeth and strive to restore not only the function but the aesthetics of your smile. We offer several options for the replacement of missing teeth, one of which is dental bridges.

What is a Dental Bridge?

A bridge is a dental appliance that “bridges” the gap left behind by one to three missing teeth. Pontic (prosthetic) teeth are anchored to your surrounding healthy teeth (referred to as abutment teeth) in one of two ways depending upon the type of bridge you receive. They are usually made of ceramic, but can also be made from gold, alloys, porcelain or a mixture of these materials (often a metal substructure covered by porcelain) to provide you with a complete set of functional teeth.

Types of Dental Bridges

The most common type of bridge is a fixed bridge. With this bridge, the pontic tooth sit between two crowns, which anchor onto your adjacent healthy teeth, holding the appliance firmly in place. To place a fixed bridge, your adjacent teeth must first be prepared, just as if you were only getting dental crowns.

Another common type of bridge is known as a resin-bonded or Maryland bridge. Instead of crowns, this type of bridge is supported by your adjacent teeth with metal “wings.” Rather than requiring your teeth to be trimmed, the wings are cemented to the back of your healthy teeth, allowing them to remain whole.

Benefits of Bridges

Bridges include:

Getting Your Bridge

Your bridge is a restoration that will take two visits. During your first visit, we will perform a complete exam of your mouth and take x-rays. If you are getting a fixed bridge we will prepare your teeth. What this means is that we will trim (shave) your adjacent healthy teeth, making room for your crowns to fit over them. Your teeth will not need to be prepared for a resin-bonded bridge. Next, impressions of the area are taken. We send the impression to our lab. It will take anywhere between one and two weeks to create your custom bridge. A temporary bridge will be supplied while you wait. When done, you will return for your second visit to check your bridge for fit and comfort and then cement it permanently in place.

Once in place, you are left with a complete smile and teeth that function normally. Caring for your new bridge is no different than caring for your natural teeth. If you have one or more missing teeth, don’t wait. Dallas Prosthodontics is here to help restore both form and function to your mouth.