A cemented or fixed dental bridge is a way to replace one or more missing teeth to help restore function and/or esthetics. A fixed dental bridge requires at least one tooth on either side of the missing tooth or teeth to provide the attachment and support.
Dental bridge procedure
First, the teeth on both sides 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 dental bridge connects all of the teeth, abutments and pontics.
Dental bridge benefits
A dental 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 teeth behind and above the tooth which is lost, leaving other teeth non-functional and continuing the cycle. And lost front teeth pose an esthetic dilemma for most people.
Dental bridge procedure time
A cemented bridge is typically made in two visits, the first being the preparation appointment and the second the bridge insertion.