What is a Bridge?
A bridge is a dental treatment that is used to replace one or more missing teeth. They are designed to be cosmetically appealing and to restore proper occlusion. Like crowns, bridges are fully customizable and made of various materials, including porcelain and metals.
Dental bridges are a prosthesis (replacement part) that relies on support from the neighboring healthy teeth surrounding the gap left by a missing tooth or teeth. The healthy adjacent teeth, called abutments, provide support on either side.
This existing bridge required replacement. There is wear on the biting surfaces and the tissue has shifted, exposing the metal around the edges of the bridge.
Once the old bridge is removed, the teeth are prepared for a new bridge. The outer layer of the teeth must be removed to accommodate the metal and porcelain used to fabricate the bridge.
The bridge is made in a laboratory using molds made of the prepared teeth. The bridge has a metal substructure over which porcelain is bonded. The color of porcelain is chosen to match the existing teeth.
The bridge is adjusted and fitted over the teeth. It is then cemented into place.