Dental bridges in Sacramento, CA

What Are Dental Bridges?

A dental bridge is an artificial prosthetic tooth that has crowns attached at either end. It is similar to a structural scaffold that is attached to your mouth. The artificial prosthetic tooth replaces a missing tooth that may have been lost due to an accident or removed because of severe damage or some other purpose. As this prosthetic tooth connects the gap left behind by the missing tooth, it is called a bridge.

How Do Dental Bridges Work?

Dental bridges help prevent teeth from shifting, correct bite problems, or protect the integrity of surrounding teeth. They can either be fixed permanently in your mouth, or you can opt for removable bridges. In the case of permanent placement of your dental bridge, they will be attached using a solid glue paste that will keep the bridge securely fastened to your gum line. As for the removable bridges, they will be attached to the neighboring teeth of the gap using special clips.

What Are the Types of Dental Bridges?

Fixed Bridges: They comprise a filler tooth between two crowns, which hold the bridge in place.

Maryland Bridges: These bridges generally restore missing front teeth, and use tooth-colored metal bands, cemented to surrounding teeth to secure the bridge in place.

Cantilever Bridges: In this type of fixed bridge, the crowns are on the same side of the bridge at the end. They are commonly used to replace end molars.

How Are Dental Bridges Placed?

The procedure for bridgework takes two appointments. The adjoining teeth will be reshaped to help create a perfect fit for the bridge. Dr. Novan Nguyen will take an impression of the gap and the surrounding crowns and send it to the dental lab to prepare the customized bridge. Once ready, they are fixed in your mouth with the two supporting crowns holding the filler tooth between them.